Adventure Time: The Awakening of Heroes!
by SCIK1012
Summary: The Lich is back and his only purpose is to take revenge against the land of Ooo. There's only one way to stop him from destroying the world; eight ancient weapons must be gathered but only true heroes can unleash their real power. With his friends' help, Finn sets out on a quest that will change their lives forever… *Please excuse any grammar mistakes, chapters 1-10 under editing*
1. A Usual Beginning!

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own any character, name, place or anything related to the original show. Everything belongs to ©Cartoon Network, Frederator Studios and Pendleton Ward._

**Adventure Time: The Awakening of Heroes!**

**I: The Gathering**

* * *

_Tale 1:_ A Usual Beginning!

_Inside BMO's screen..._

Two warriors stare at each other waiting for their fight to begin. The announcer starts the count: "Three – Two – One... GO!" The warrior on the left, an 8-bit ninja, makes the first move and starts running towards his enemy, an 8-bit pirate with a big black hat.

"Amazing!" the announcer shouts in excitement "This battle has become an explosive display of awesome techniques and extremely dangerous moves, as the two mortal enemies drop blood and teeth everywhere on the now destroyed stage!" The video game narrator's deep voice starts to fade gradually all of a sudden. "Things are becoming pretty intense as a powerful blow attempts to bring our battle to an epic endi-..."

"Aw fudge! Beemo just ran out of batteries! Jake, did you remember to place Beemo on his charging station like I told you this morning?" a young boy with a funny bear-themed hat on his head asked.

"Define 'recharge'." the yellow bulldog next to him answered.

"Jake!" his human partner yelled, annoyed by the dog's lazy attitude.

A large group of friends were sitting around the couch, where two girls were trying to kill each other —inside the video game, that is. Most of them held a glass filled with _'Pepcoke'_ soda, and a bunch of popcorn was scattered on the floor. It was around 11:30 pm and the stars were twinkling bright above the Tree Fort, Finn and Jake's home.

They were planning to enjoy this Friday night with a small video game contest, as they did every month when its name ended with "-ber". The most expected fight was always between the most opposite rivals you'll ever know: Marceline the Vampire Queen and Princess Bubblegum, ruler of the Candy Kingdom. However, it seemed that today wasn't the day to resolve their differences on the virtual battlefield. Now they'd have to wait until September... and it was only December... Bad luck girls.

"I'm sorry Finn. I was busy preparing some snacks for tonight's video game match." Jake apologized.

"What match?" replied Finn, who was still a little bit upset with his brother.

"Yeah dude, how are we supposed to finish our battle without Beemo, you genius?" said a girl with long black hair, while she hit her head repeatedly with one of the video game controllers in an impatient manner.

"Hey Marcy, it's okay! At least you were saved from being humiliated by... me!" chuckled the other girl, pointing at herself with a big smile on her face.

"You? Haha! What kind of joke is that princess? Or has the poor Bonnibel just forgotten that my ninja was about to destroy your pathetic pirate?" the black-haired girl said in a comical fashion.

"Oh yeah? 'Look at me! My name is Marceline and I'm better than all of you stupid mortals!'" Princess Bubblegum mimicked her in reply.

"Indeed." the Vampire Queen affirmed as she crossed her arms and raised her head up with pride.

"Ugh! You're impossible!"

"PB, Marcy! Calm down, there's no need to fight." Finn intervened, jumping over the couch and sitting between them.

"See? Even Finn is more educated than you." Princess Bubblegum said, pulling him close to her.

"Sure, everyone knows ninjas are waaay better than pirates." a smiling Finn said.

"Yes, everyone knows that—…! No... What?" the princess mumbled, completely confused by the young human's statement.

"Hehe, that's my little hero. Give me five, runt!" Marceline exclaimed, sticking out her forked tongue at the bothered candy princess.

"Yeah! ... Wait, who are you calling runt?" questioned the offended human.

"Now hold on a second, bro! Ninjas are cool, but I have to say that pirates are pretty awesome." this time it was Jake's turn to talk. "I mean, just think about it: They're rude, they never bath and they live in the sea, having adventures and finding treasures! Hehe, I could write a song about it... Ah, the sea." he peeked outside the window, sighing dreamily.

"The sea? You mean the ocean right? You're sick man." Finn replied, frowning.

"Don't tell me that our big bad hero is afraid of the ocean! Hehe..." Marceline said, laughing above the couch as she patted Finn's head.

"Don't bother him, Marceline!" said Jake. "He has been working on that! Right, buddy?"

"Yeah..." Finn replied, a slight blush painting his cheeks.

"Hehe! And what about you? Have you been working on your... **Vampire Problems?! Yearghhh!**" the Vampire Queen screeched, baring her fangs and making her eyes explode in fire. "Hehehe..."

"Yaaaaargh! No! I mean yesss...!" Jake screamed in fear, throwing his fat body behind the couch. "You know I'm not afrai-afraid of you any... mo-mo-more."

"Hahaha! Mo-mo-mo..." she chuckled, mimicking him "Really? Ha! Then why are you shivering?" she asked, noticing his trembling paws.

"Because you freak me out when you do that kind of stuff! Any normal person would! Believe me!"

"Hahaha, I'm never going to get tired of this." Marceline whispered as she slid her arm around Jake's shoulder without him noticing it. **"Boo!"**

"Mommy!" the dog cried, jumping upwards as everyone in the room laughed. "What's so funny, huh? Yeah! I still call out for my mommy, **Big Deal!** I bet you all do!" Jake protested somewhat offended.

"Guys! C'mon! Stop arguing about pirates, ninjas and stuff, I'm lumping bored!"

"Okay LSP, do you have any other suggestion since Jake ruined our video game contest?" Finn asked.

"Hey!" the yellow dog replied, trying to defend himself.

"Oh shut the lump up, you known its true puppy! And no, I have no idea, you know what? It's getting late, maybe we should end this 'party' and return to our homes. If I don't get a proper rest, there's a chance that my beautiful face turns a little bit ugly... I don't want to take any risks… If you know what I mean." Lumpy Space Princess said.

"Oh, sure... but…beautiful?" answered Finn, still a little unsure of the lumpy girl's description of herself.

"Yaaaawn... I think 'miss beautiful' here has a point." Marceline as she floated above the couch, resting her head back on her hands. "This is getting pretty boring, I have better things to do and I don't have the whole night... _'If you know what I mean.'_" the vampire hissed, mimicking Lumpy Space Princess' voice.

"I hate to say it, but she's right guys. I need to get a good rest as well. Tomorrow is going to be a very important day, _'If you know what I mean.'_" Princess Bubblegum remarked, mocking the lumpy princess in the process as well.

"Will you please stop copying me? Glob..." Lumpy Space Princess shouted in annoyance.

"So I guess… That's gonna be it for the night, huh?" Finn said.

"Yeah, sorry for ruining the party, I can be pretty forgetful at times, _'If you know what I mean'.'_" Jake said chuckling in delight.

**"I Said Stop It!" **the floating princess insisted, her voice full of anger.

"Whatever. Well, see you later guys." Marceline waved at them as she flew outside the window.

"Bye Marcy!" Finn exclaimed in reply, waving at her as well.

"Okay, time for me to go too." Princess Bubblegum announced as she hopped over Lady Rainicorn's back. "LSP, do you want me to give you a ride?"

"Oh, but of course! However, you need to know that I'm living with my parents again... So you better take me to the Lumpy Space Kingdom fast or they'll get mad at me, if you know what I mean."

"Sure! Now hold on tight, I don't want to be chasing you down if you fall off... _'If you know what I mean.'_" Princess Bubblegum said, giggling.

"Haha... really funny huh? HURRY UP! Glob it..." Lumpy Space Princess cursed softly, crossing her arms and turning her face away.

"Bye guys!" Bonnibel Bubblegum exclaimed, taking off from the Tree Fort on her colorful rainicorn.

"잘 자거라, 아가야!" Lady Rainicorn said to Jake.

"Hehehe... Bye baby." The magical dog whispered, blushing in response.

**x+x+x+x+x**

After everyone left the Tree Fort, the two 'brothers' began to clean up the mess on the living room and then climbed the ladder to get inside their bedroom. A small candle next to Finn's bed illuminated their room dimly. Jake's bed consisted of an open cabinet drawer with a huge grey cushion stuffed inside it, while Finn's was a large bed covered with several monster pelts (which had been probably killed by him) and an orange sleeping bag. Both beds look very cozy and confortable, perfect for a long night of peaceful rest.

"Hey Jake, even if we couldn't finish our video game match, it still was a great night, don't you think?" Finn commented softly as he sat on his bed, putting his red pajamas on. "Oh! I better place Beemo in his charge station... Here you go buddy!"

"Yeah, even though things didn't go out as planned, whenever you're spending a good time with your best friends, I always have the feeling that everything will be all right." Jake said as he wrapped his chubby body in his blankets.

"Whoa, you sound like a philofffis-fifflosophiss-piss-peepee-poopoo... whatever."

"It's _Philosopher_, Finn. I don't know, maybe I start saying weird things whenever I'm awake this late." The bulldog replied tiredly with a big loud yawn.

"Yeah..." the human boy whispered. "Talking about weird things... Whenever I'm awake this late, I can't help but to think of Flame Princess... Where could she be now? Does she feel lonely? I'd wish she could have spent the night with our friends too..." Finn stared at the ceiling in sadness, remembering the passionate look in the golden eyes of the fire elemental girl. It had been one month since she left his side, alleging that they couldn't be together, even if they wanted to, because they were opposites.

"Don't worry, bro. I'm sure that she'll come back one day… And I hope she learns to control her emotions, because I hate getting my butt toasted... Glob, it still hurts." Jake said, rubbing his short tail.

"Hehe... I hope so too! Well, goodnight bro." Finn whispered, blowing off the candle on his side table.

"Yaaaawn... Goodnight bro." Jake replied, finally falling asleep.

And so our heroes went to sleep... It had been a good night, they have had fun with their friends and everything seemed to be all right... No, nothing could go wrong... Could it?

**x+x+x+x+x**

"You look so cute, sitting in your boat... I wanna suck out your eyeballs and _rip_ out your throat... Yes I wanna... suck out your eyeballs and drink all your blood…!" Marceline sang as she flew over the Grass Lands on her way back home.

"Man it's late! I'd better hurry or the sun will come out and burn me... hehe!" she laughed at her own rhyme "Hey! I am a poet and I didn't know it! I bet this could become a nice song one day...! _'I'd better hurry or the sun will come out and burn me!'_ Glob I'm a musical genius, hehe!"

Suddenly, a shiver went down her spine, giving her a cold sensation of fear and insecurity "Huh?" she quickly stopped her flying. "I feel something strange in the air..." Marceline frowned "Whatever it is... I've felt it before... And I know it means no good…" she restarted her flight as fast as she could. "I can't let my guard down..." the vampire whispered. _"I just hope everyone arrives home safely…"_ she thought. "_Shoot... I have become pretty soft-hearted..._"

**x+x+x+x+x**

Marceline was right; something terrible is about to happen. The air was suddenly filled with a chilling breeze, and she couldn't help but to sense death around her...

What kind of terrible fate awaits our heroes? Will everyone in the land of Ooo be safe? Will Finn and Jake have the strength to face it...? Read on and get ready for their greatest adventure yet!

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**1.** Just in case, Lady Rainicorn's dialogues are made using Google translator, so it's **very **possible that you may find **a lot** of mistakes on whatever she says.

**2. ****To My New Readers:** Welcome to my first fanfiction ever! This story has come a long way since it was published, it was meant to help me improve my English, hence, the simplicity of this first chapter. If you keep reading this fic, you'll probably stumble with some serious grammar and orthographic mistakes, but don't worry; the story is now undergoing an editing process.

Hopefully as you read on, you'll notice that my grammar as well as my style, and the complexity of the story have improved quite a lot. The earlier chapters have already been edited a couple of times, but they may still give native English speakers some trouble when they try to read them.

Please feel free to inform me via PM or in a review if you ever come across something unreadable (besides Lady Rainicorn's dialogs) or if you find any mistakes that need to be corrected. I would be eternally grateful if you do so. I want to give you a story of an excellent quality, which is what you –as my readers– deserve.

Thank you!

_**~SCIK1012, **_**June 7, 2013.**


	2. Can You Tame the Flame?

_Tale 2:_ Can You Tame the Flame?

"My my! You are late your highness, it's almost dawn, and the royal meeting is going to start in a few hours." Peppermint Butler said, arriving to the Candy Castle's gate and opened it to let the princess enter.

"I know Peppermint, I know, It's just that LSP forgot her own address and we spent the whole night flying in circles. Glob that girl is something!" Princess Bubblegum said. "Thank you Lady, you can go to sleep now." she patted her head gently.

"여러분, 환영 보리 공주 있어요!" Lady replied with a tired smile.

"Well, I guess I'm going to sleep as well, see you in the morning Peppermint."

"Sleep well princess!"

Princess Bubblegum climbed the stairs leading to her bedroom. Rain had started to pour since she came back to the Candy Kingdom, but it wasn't just rain anymore, it was a terrible storm. She felt a chilly breeze down her spine, but she just assumed it was because of the storm. As soon as she finished putting on her pajamas, she looked through the window's glass of her bedroom.

"Glob I hate this weather, especially this late in the night." she thought to herself.

Suddenly a thunder crashed near the castle, making a very strenuous sound. "Kyaaah!" Princess Bubblegum screamed and hid under her bed, shaking. "_I hate lightning, I hate lightning, I hate lightning..._ Wait a minute, what the heck am I doing? I'm eighteen, I can't act like this! Hohoho!" she laughed at herself.

"Silly me, there's nothing to be afraid of, because I know that thunders are the result of the lightning's strike, which has a temperature of about 100,000 degrees Fahrenheit. And when the air near the area of strike warms up, it rapidly spreads and compresses itself, as the expansion continues the air produces a sound wave, which is what we denominate as a thunder. Hoho... It's so simple… hahaha!" she started to laugh again, much louder this time, probably in a poor attempt to prevent herself from feeling alone.

Suddenly her window opened violently, letting in the cold wind and rain. "Holy crab!" the princess cried, hiding underneath her bed once again . "Huh? Wait a sec, I'm not going to get scared this time, it's obvious that the wind's speed was fast enough to throw my window open..."

And with that, Bubblegum stood up again to close her window. "_What's wrong with me? There's no need to be nervous, it's just a storm, just a stupid storm, hehe..._" she thought. "I'm sure the sun will be warm and shining in the morning" Princess Bubblegum said. The science fanatic and responsible ruler of the Candy Kingdom, of a usual gentle and cheerful personality, was getting easily freaked out by a storm tonight.

"_P-prin-princesssss..._" a shaky voice called her from within the darkness of her bedroom.

"Huh?" Bubblegum's voice cracked while her body started to shiver. "Must be my imagination, but I could swear I heard someone ca-calling me... hehe..."

"_B-bu-bubble-gum..._" the shaky, gloomy voice called again.

"Yikes! Now I'm s-sure I heard i-it...!" she began to slowly walk towards her bedroom's door.

"_D-da-damn... B-bo-bo-Bonnibel!_" the voice replied, annoyed by the princess's scared attitude.

"Aaaahhh!" Princess Bubblegum turned around at the same time that lightning illuminated the room, showing her a shadowy and terrifying humanoid figure, shivering and dripping some liquid onto the floor.

"Nooo! D-Don't kill me! P-please!" Princess Bubblegum yelled as the figure started to walk towards her. She felt a pair of cold hands pressing her shoulders, and then she had a pale face in front of hers, covered with wet black hair and two tired red eyes, angrily looking straight into hers.

"C'mon don't be stupid! Stop screaming!"

"_Huh? That voice sounds familiar... wait a minute..._" Princess Bubblegum thought before opening her eyes. "Marceline?! What the fudge is wrong with you?! You can't get into someone's room like that! Are you trying to kill me?" the princess screamed furiously.

"You mean, like right now? Because I'm very tempted to! Do you really think I would fly at high speed, this late at night, with this weather, putting my life at risk, knowing dawn is about to break... Just to scare you?! Though... I think it would have been worth it, miss 'I'm scared of lightning'... hehe."

"Then why the hay are you here?" Bubblegum asked, angrily dropping her arms.

"I'm h-here to w-warn you!" Marceline replied, shaking slightly while trying to warm herself with her hands.

"Warn me? About what?"

"C-can't you feel it? This chilling breeze, the strong sensation of death in the air?"

"No... I thought... this storm..." the candy ruler said, looking closely at the intruder in front of her. "Marcy, you're freezing! " she said, walking towards her closet.

"Here, you can have my coat." she said while handing her a pink cloth.

"You fool!" Marceline replied slapping the princess' hand "There's no need to be gentle right now, Bonnibel! Are you even listening?! I don't think anyone's safe right now! I can sense a huge amount of evil somewhere nearby! And believe me; compared to this, my father is harmless."

"Yeah, I'm listening, but what are you expecting me to do?" Bubblegum asked, picking up her coat from the floor "I can't tell my subjects, they will explode out of fear!"

"_Yeargh! Such weak creatures..._" the vampire queen thought, an annoyed expression on her face "Well, I don't know, you are the smart one." Marceline said, standing on the window's edge and opening it, the wind and rain entering the room. "I've already done enough for you, coming all this way... good luck... I'm leaving!" she was about to jump off when the princess stopped her by grabbing her arm.

"Wait! Just grab the coat, please; at least let me repay you for what you've done..."

"Humph! Well... since you insist... but I'm not going to take care of it!" she grabbed the coat and jumped through the window so fast that the princess couldn't even notice she was already gone.

"_I hope you make it... before dawn... my friend..._" PB thought to herself, staring to the outside as the sun came out.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Finn... Finn... Fiiin... FINN!" Jake shouted, trying to wake his brother up.

"Holy cow! What the...? Jake! What are you doing?" Finn replied angrily. Nobody likes to be awakened in that way.

"I'm sorry I woke you up so suddenly but... I'm scared. I can sense something strange, believe me bro, we dogs are very sensitive, hehe..."

"Yaaawn..." Finn covered his mouth with his hand "Probably you're just hungry" he said, trying to get back to sleep.

"No man! The last time I felt something like this was... Oh no! No no no!" Jake began to shake his head from one side to the other quickly "Bro, take out your sword! C'mon, we gotta hurry!" he grabbed his hand to pull him out of bed.

"Hurry... why?" Finn asked still trying to fall sleep.

"The Lich, man! The LICH! Remember that deadly freak we fought three months ago? I think he's back! I'm telling you!" Jake said desperately, holding Finn by the shoulders and shaking him back and forth at the same time he jumped on his stomach.

"The WHAT?!" Finn finally reacted, instantly jumping out of bed, sending Jake flying across the room and making him crash against Beemo.

"What the bump is going on with you guys? Stop yelling, I want to sleep!" Beemo said as he got up.

"But I thought we destroyed him that day when we almost killed Princess Bubblegum for the second time!" Finn said, biting his nails anxiously.

"I know!" Jake answered, lying under a pile of books on the floor.

"What are you guys talking about?" Beemo asked, watching them with an impatient look on his face.

"Remember that bad guy Finn and I fought a few months ago? The one that turned PB into a 13 year old kid and then she got all smoochy with Finn?" Jake said trying to get back on his feet.

"Wha-?! Jake!" Finn replied, a slight blush on his face as he glared at him.

"Shhh! Finn I'm talking." Jake pushed him away "You know, the creep that was trying to kill everybody, and had no skin or eyes and looked like this..." Jake quickly shaped his body into the Lich's form and began to mimic him. "'Gaaah... aren't you cold...?' 'Waaah... die...' That kind of stuff." he finished, returning to his normal dog form.

"Hmm... I do remember your story, but I wasn't there with you guys, and I'd rather not be…" Beemo said.

"That's fine, we need someone to stay here and watch the house" Finn said as he put his shoes on "C'mon Jake, let's go to the Candy Kingdom, we have to warn Princess Bubblegum and everybody else!" he said as he finished dressing himself up and ran to the other side of their room to retrieve his adventure stuff.

"Wait... We're not going to have breakfast before leaving?" Jake asked worriedly.

"Weren't you the one who wanted me to hurry up a while ago?" Finn said, taking out his demon blood sword. "Let's go man!"

"Kids these days, they don't know how important breakfast is for their own health..." Jake sighed in defeat.

**x+x+x+x+x**

_Deep within the Evil Forest..._

A small snail can be seen crawling slowly through the leaves...

"Haw haw... I've been observing those kids for a very long time now... I know their weaknesses and flaws... I can now take advantage of them... but first; I'll need a proper body..."

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Oh no! What is this? Water is falling from the sky! I must run... or else I'll die!"

The rain fell strongly, covering the Grass Lands with a thin veil of water. The animals ran away looking for shelter, while a human-like figure struggled to keep herself dry. It was Flame Princess. Ever since her encounter with Finn the Human, she had been wandering alone throughout the land of Ooo, in search of a place that she could call home. Every day and every night she asked herself if abandoning the Fire Kingdom had been a good idea after all. She didn't know what to do. She still was... very confused. This was a completely new world for her, filled with dangers that a person who had been locked up all of her life could've never imagined. Everything around her would burn away when she touched it, and whatever didn't, would usually hurt her, like the rain. This fact annoyed her deeply; everything in this new world would make her angry... everything, and everyone.

Flame Princess ran as fast as she could, the tiny drops hurting her fiery skin as they fell over her. She saw a cave in the distance and decided to make it her new shelter. It's not like if she had any other option.

She entered the cave and sat down in the ground, watching the rain falling down in front of her. "What I'm supposed to do now? I can't go outside anymore..." she thought.

"Ngh... What the fudge? Who turned the lights on?" A feminine voice moaned behind her.

Flame Princess got startled and jumped up quickly "Who's there?!" she asked fiercely.

"Hehe, I'm the one asking the questions here..." The voice said as it got closer and closer.

"Stand back!" Flame Princess said, turning her fists on fire. "Or I'll burn you!"

"I'd like to see you try!" the voice replied, taunting her.

"Hyahh! Take this!" Flame Princess shouted, throwing fireballs at her enemy, but suddenly, something happened, something she didn't expect...

The stranger held up its hand with an open palm and stopped the fireballs in midair.

"What? But... how? Who are you?!" the princess asked in astonishment as she saw a pale and tall woman walking out from the darkness. She was holding the fireball on her hand and it lightened her face, revealing a fanged smirk.

"Calm down, I've got no intentions to hurt you... Seeing what you are, I can tell you are looking for shelter, just like me. Sit down and make yourself at home." The strange woman said, sitting on the ground and resting her back against a wall.

"Th-Thank you…" the princess replied, not knowing what else to do.

The young woman chuckled "There's no need to thank me… You remind me a lot of someone I know…so I think I like you!"

"W-What?" The fire girl asked, a light blush on her face.

"By the way, my name is Marceline... the Vampire Queen"

"I-I'm Flame Princess…" she replied, a little bit scared of her.

"I see..." Marceline stared at the rain "What the lump is the Princess of the Fire Kingdom doing in a cave?"

The simple mention of the Fire Kingdom made Flame Princess feel angry once again. "What is it to you?! I ran away, just leave it like that!" she growled.

"How rude!" Marceline laughed "We do seem to have a lot in common after all."

She didn't like that comment either. "How can you tell?! You don't know me! You should run away from me, I'm evil! I can hurt you!" the flames surrounding her body started to grow bigger.

"Huh? Kid, how can you say such things?" the vampire replied with a worried look on her face.

"I already told you, I'm evil!" the fiery girl said, trying to punch Marceline in the face, but she grabbed her wrist firmly and stopped her fist right before it hit her. "You're... you're not getting burned?" the princess asked, still watching Marceline's hand as it grabbed hers.

"Yeah, but don't worry... I'm used to physical pain." Her expression became serious. "Girl... you are as evil as I am" Marceline chuckled softly "You're worrying about me being hurt, tell me, how that does makes you evil?" she released her grip on her.

"Huh?" Flame princess was astonished; she didn't know how to answer that... Her internal confusion became bigger.

"You're not evil... you just need to learn how to control yourself... You're pretty aggressive, which is cool, but try not to use that on people, you're already too dangerous." the Vampire Queen advised her as she went deeper into the cave.

"I... I already know that..." the Flame princess said, staring at her.

"But...?" The vampire asked, leaning against the cold rocky wall.

"But that's just how I am! I'm made of fire, you can't control fire!" she replied, losing her patience once again.

"I can." Marceline said while pointing at herself, a silly smile on her face. "That's why you couldn't attack me in the first place."

"Tell me how did you do that!" the princesses demanded, walking towards the vampire.

"It's called pyrokinesis." Marceline answered, looking at her.

'"What...?"

"I'll make this easier for you: basically, I can create or control fire with my mind." Marceline stated, creating a small spark with her finger. "Of course, I can't create flames as strong as yours, but it's something at least. Many demons can do it, it's almost natural."

"You said you were a vampire!" Flame Princess yelled once again in confusion.

"I am." Marceline said calmly and started to levitate on her back. "My father is a demon, and I inherited some of his demonic abilities... I guess you can say I'm a half-demon, half-vampire." she chuckled "Sounds cool, huh?"

"Are you saying... that you can get along with me?" the fire girl asked.

"I could try..." the vampire replied lazily.

"I don't get it... You're a complete stranger... yet you're offering me your friendship?" She was even more confused now; first this boy appears out of nowhere, saying that he likes her, and now this? The people from the outside world were pretty strange.

"Yeah, you seem quite interesting; I bet it'll be fun!" Marceline said happily.

"I... don't know what to say..."

"You don't have to say anything. Yaaawn... I'm so tired." she closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

"Can you tell me... What is someone like you doing in a place like this?" Flame Princess asked curiously.

"Well, I'm trapped inside this cave; just like you can't go out because of the rain, I can't go out because of the sun, so I'm waiting for the right time to go home."

"Hmmm, I see..." FP replied, staring at the ground "Hey, can I stay with you? I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Huh? Yeah, whatever..." Marceline said, peeking at her with one eye. "If you can take care of yourself, that is."

"Why?"

"You can't sense it, but things are getting pretty nasty around here lately... Something's coming, and it's powerful." Marceline said, changing her expression into a more serious one. "I want to go home to pick up my weapon, so I can help my friends if the situation gets heavy." The vampire then looked at the princess, a sigh leaving her lips "Listen... if you want to follow me, you can come. But I'll warn you... There's a chance you won't make it out of this alive, understood?"

"Sure... whatever..." Flame Princess said, imitating her.

"Good girl!" Marceline laughed "But don't do that again, you're allowed to follow me, stay with me, but you're not allowed to start copying me. Is that clear? That's my style... I still have a little vampire pride to protect."

Flame Princess smiled "You're strange... and funny!"

"_Huh?_" Marceline looked at her in surprise "_Dear Glob, what have I been turned into?_" the Vampire Queen thought to herself, covering her face with her hand.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn and Jake ran under the clouded skies with all the energy they had to reach the Candy Kingdom, it wasn't very far from the Grasslands, but it still was a great distance to cover just by running.

"There it is! The Candy Kingdom!" Finn said, trying to catch his breath. The pink colored city could be seen on the horizon, all they had to do was to cross the field running downhill.

"Time for a faster transport! Haaaaah!" Jake started stretching his body, making himself grow bigger and bigger. "Get over here bro!" Jake said, grabbing Finn with his ear and placing him on his back.

"Yeeeehaaaa!" Finn yelled, riding his best buddy under the rain.

Thanks to Jake's giant body, it only took them about five minutes to reach the city walls.

"Arriving to the Candy Kingdom. Next stop, my nose, hehe!" Jake said as he returned to his original size and scratched his nose.

"Alright! Let's go!" Finn said, running as fast as he could towards the Candy Castle. "Hey, Princess!" he yelled, calling for her.


	3. When a Creep Meets Another Creep!

_Tale 3:_ When a Creep Meets Another Creep!

The raindrops hit the castle's windows, pushed by the strong wind that was blowing that cloudy morning. Princess Bubblegum walked through the halls carrying some kind of important paperwork in her hands. The sound of her footsteps echoed across the Candy Castle as she made her way forward to the royal meeting room, where some of the most important personalities of the Candy Kingdom waited to hear her speech about the actual conditions of the mental battle between Goliad and Stormo; a battle they had to endure for eternity. For Princess Bubblegum, just thinking about this matter would almost always make her lose her sleep, but it was a responsibility she had to assume, since both of them were her creations. Thankfully Stormo, who was created with Finn's DNA, decided to voluntarily sacrifice himself to keep her people safe. It was truly a noble hero quality, one he inherited from that eager human boy.

"PB! Where are you?!" Finn yelled, climbing the stairs and entering the hall in a run, Jake following him.

"Finn, stop shouting!" the princess said "I'm here, the royal meeting is about to begin so you better hurry, what is it?" she replied, stopping her pace and turning around to face them.

"Princess! Jake says he's sensing the Lich's presence!"

"The Lich?! But... of course, that must be it!" Bubblegum said, placing her hand on her chin.

"Must be it?" Jake repeated, turning himself around to look at Finn.

"Princess, you can sense it too?" asked Finn.

"Not completely... I felt something strange, but I didn't know what it was... then Marceline sa-"

"Marceline?! Is she here!?" Jake asked, looking around the room while he held Finn's arm.

"No, she came here to warn me about it, and then she left. The sun was starting to show, so I don't know if she's okay" the princess said, a worried look on her face.

"PB, are you worried about Marceline?" Finn asked in surprise.

"But of course I am!" she replied, throwing her arms back and leaning forward to the boy in front of her "I may not like her, but that doesn't mean I don't care about her safety, please, I'm not heartless!"

"Relax PB; I'm sure she must've found somewhere to hide around here." Jake said.

"Anyway, we have to do something about this, if The Lich is out there, then that means no one's safe... He'll probably start looking for us first to get some kind of revenge or something." Finn said frowning.

"Wait what?! That thing is invincible!" Jake said shivering.

"There has to be a way to destroy him! Oh Glob... what can we do? That thing is deathless, and there's no known weapon that can hurt him... If only we could take his immortality away..." Bubblegum said, thinking out loud.

"Aha! This is it! I knew something was going on and you lumpy heads didn't invite me!"

Lumpy Space Princess entered the hall carrying a silver plate full of sandwiches in her hands. She had the bad habit of speaking with her mouth full, so she spread breadcrumbs on the pink ceramic-like candy floor as she floated towards them.

"LSP, this is not a party, this is very serious!" Princess Bubblegum said anxiously, staring at her.

"Yeah Peebs? Nothing can be serious if those two are involved..." she jammed a piece of sandwich inside her mouth "Oh c'mon guys! I know something is going on! Please don't let me out of it! I don't like secrets when I can't know them!" LSP started yelling.

"Pssst! Princess..." Jake said, calling out for PB to talk in private.

"Don't tell her what's going on, she'll probably start running, telling it out loud and freaking out everybody." Jake whispered on the princess's ear. Princess Bubblegum nodded in agreement.

"DON'T WHISPER IN FRONT OF ME!" the lumpy teenager shouted.

"I'm sorry LSP; this is too much for you and the rest of the citizens. It'll be best if you just forget about it." PB said looking at her.

"NO WAY! I'm sorry folks, but if you don't include me then I'll be following you everywhere, bothering the heck out of you!" LSP threatened them, her arms crossed.

"Oh c'mon LSP, please don't be so stubborn, this is for your own safety." Finn replied, slowly losing his patience.

LSP frowned at him and began to yell "What about my mental sanity and my emotional state?! If I don't know what's going on I'll lose my mind! Friends can't hide secrets from their friends, you know? Oh no! It's happening again! My friends are losing confidence in me, soon they'll want me to leave and I will have to go back to the forest and live with wolves again, but this time wolves will also hate me!" she began mimic growl sounds in her voice "They'll probably say: 'Oh look, that hot lumpy beauty has returned!' 'Yeah but we hate her now, so let's kill her and eat her, and splash her blood all over the place, and ripe out her organs, and drink her corporal jui-!'"

"That's enough!" Bubblegum interrupted her with a yell, clearly disgusted by LSP's graphic storytelling "Alright, I'll tell you! But you have to promise that you won't tell anybody, ok? This is a ROYAL PROMISE, understood?!" Princess Bubblegum declared, firmly pointing the purple girl with her finger.

"Hahahahaha! Thanks!" LSP laughed maniacally "Ok I promise! Hehehe! I'm so, and I mean soooo excited, I could just throw up all over the floor!

"Yeaaah..." Jake replied, frowning and walking slowly away from her "Hey Finn, I think her mental sanity is already messed up." he whispered, stretching his body to his adoptive brother's ear.

Finn crossed his arms and agreed, moving his head up and down with his eyes closed.

An so, Princess Bubblegum told her the story of their encounters with the Lich and their suspicion of his return, completely forgetting about the royal meting that she was already too late to assist.

"OH - MY - GLOB! That was totally... boring!" LSP said, turning off the star in her forehead and falling softly on the floor.

"What do you mean boring?!" Finn said, not believing what he just heard.

"Humph! I just thought you were going to talk about other kind of stuff..."

"Can't you see this is serious?! Everyone's life is in danger?!" PB said, annoyed by LSP's lack of interest.

"Oh please! These two have handled dangerous monsters before, it's no big deal!" LSP replied, waving her arms.

"The monsters they've fought before weren't deathless!" Bubblegum yelled, suddenly realizing for how long they had been dealing with the lumpy girl. "Oh crab! I already missed the royal meeting! Thank you very much LSP..." PB said as she rubbed her forehead, a headache bothering her.

"You're welcome!" LSP replied.

**x+x+x+x+x**

_Meanwhile in the depths of the Evil Forest..._

The possessed snail had finally found a body that could suit his desires. Staring from the top of a tree, the Lich had spotted Sir Slicer riding his horse. He waited for the right moment to attack his victim and take over his body, along with his precious black armor.

"This one's a puny one, but with my power and might... I can transform him into a truly strong and resistant body... Haw haw haw!"

Just when Sir Slicer passed under the tree, the snail threw himself down, hitting the horse's head, which immediately started to freak out.

"Hey! What the hay's wrong with you? You stupid horse, calm down!" Sir Slicer ordered, pulling the black leather reins tightly.

"Haw haw haw!" the knight heard a frightening laughter behind him.

"Huh? Who's there? Show yourself, you coward!" he yelled as he struggled to calm his horse.

Suddenly, the Lich left the snail's body and the entire area was covered with his presence, immediately taking control of Slicer's mind.

"Your body is mine..." the Lich said, instantly killing him and possessing the corpse. Slicer didn't even have time to scream.

As the Lich took over Slicer's body, his appearance began to change dramatically. Combining the armor with his flesh, his muscle mass started to grow, his eyes became hollow and a pair of horns showed up from his forehead. His long green hair became white, and his hands were turned into sharp claws. Once the transformation was completed, the Lich enjoyed the feeling of his regained youth and strength. He could feel his dark powers rising as he smirked, knowing that no one held a chance against him.

"The time to act has come..." He said, burying his claws in the ground. And with all his might, he began to suck out the life energy of everything in the area. Soon the Evil Forest was turned into a wasteland, full of nothing but withered plants and dead animals. Because of the amount of energy he had sucked from the land, his body began to grow, his strength was being increased even more than before.

"Now... I'll drain the energy of the entire world... Starting with Ooo! Haw haw haw!" the undead king laughed in joy, his own power overwhelming him.

Pointing his hands towards the rainy sky, he launched a giant ball of green fire. When it reached the atmosphere, it exploded, sending a powerful wave that made the entire world tremble.

"This start of the end..." the Lich whispered.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"LSP, you're a total pain in the bu-!" The ground began to shake violently, before Bubblegum had the chance to complete her sentence "What's happening?!" she screamed in horror.

"It's an earthquake! Everybody run!" shouted LSP, floating in circles around her pals.

"No! Find a place to cover yourselves! Everyone knows that running during an earthquake is stupid!" PB said, trying to stay calm.

"She's right!" Jake replied, hugging one of the castle's columns.

"This is really a strong one! The castle is collapsing!" Finn yelled in alarm, noticing how the walls began to crumble. "PB! Watch out!" he warned, pushing Bubblegum away just before a giant piece of candy from the ceiling could crush her.

"Thanks Finn... I can always count on you!" The princess said with relief, a light blush appearing in the boy's cheeks.

"I'll stop this before somebody gets hurt!" Jake shouted, stretching his magic body around every part of the castle's structure. Covering his friends in the process, to protect them.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Ahhhh! What's going on?!" Flame Princess asked, scared and confused.

"Darn it! It has begun!" Marceline growled. "It's an earthquake! This cave can collapse in any moment! We have to get out of here!"

"But... the rain!" Flame Princess yelled, frightened by the idea of entering in contact with the cold water.

"Don't worry, just hold on to me!" the vampire said, standing by her side.

"What are you doing?" The fire princess replied, startled by the vampire's actions.

"Just... trust me!"

Flame Princess doubted for a moment, before grabbing Marceline's waist. The vampire moaned for a moment because of the sudden heat burning her skin, but she felt fine, she could take it.

"A-are you okay?" Flame Princess asked, knowing exactly what just happened.

"I already told you that I could handle the pain! Now hold on tight!" And right after Marceline said this, she was transformed into a giant bat "I'll cover you with my wings!" she said and took off from the ground.

The cave that used to be their shelter started to fall apart. Giant rocks rolled down and a cloud of dust was lifted in the air.

"Whoa!" Flame princess exclaimed. She wasn't expecting that, but now she was in the outside, vulnerable to the rain, and trusting a complete stranger her life.

"Just as I expected, the cave is collapsing." Marceline said, looking beneath them "Luckily I can transform into this, otherwise you'd have been doomed!" she laughed.

"I'm amazed you can say that so calmly!" Flame Princess replied, amazed and a little bit annoyed by the vampire.

"Hehe, I know..." Marceline chuckled.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Gunter! Why is the ground shaking? What are you doing?"

"Wenk!"

"I don't believe you! I know this is your fault!"

"Wenk!"

"Gah! How dare you?!"

"Wenk!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Oh my Glob! Oh my Glob! I can't take this anymore! I want you to stop now, you lumping earthquake!" LSP shouted.

Strangely enough, the earthquake stopped.

"OH – MY – GLOB! The ground listens to me! I'm the Earth's master, haha!" LSP placed her hands on her hips and lifted her face up with proud.

"I don't think so..." Jake replied smiling.

"Humph!" LSP whined, turning her face away.

"That wasn't a normal earthquake; the Lich must be responsible for this... I don't know why, but I have a feeling that he has become stronger!" Bubblegum exclaimed, a concerned tone in her voice.

"What?!" Jake and Finn asked at the same time. "Stronger? That creep?! We're doomed..."

"Princess! Princess! Are you all right?" Peppermint Butler asked anxiously as he entered the room, almost tripping with the candy debris on the floor.

"Don't worry, I'm fine..." she replied, catching him in her arms before he hit the floor. Then the Princess turned back to stare at her friends "Guys, stay here, I'll go check if everybody is okay... I promise I'll be back soon... Lady!" Bubblegum called her royal pet to fly over her beloved kingdom.

"여기서 공주예요!" Lady Rainicorn replied, arriving to PB's side.


	4. How to Beat a Deadly Freak!

_Tale 4:_ How to Beat a Deadly Freak!

The giant vampire bat flew swiftly under the soft rain that soothed her burned skin. Within her large arms, and between her sharp claws, she carried the fire elemental girl that she had just met a few hours ago. Marceline made sure not to fly too fast, so that the rain didn't fell over Flame Princess, while trying to shield her with her black wings.

As they passed over the Rock Candy Mountains, Flame Princess noticed a change in the colors of the sky, and saw the sun hiding between the greyish clouds that surrounded it.

"Wait a minute, is that... the sunset?" she wondered, and then remembered her companion's vampiric condition "Ah! Marceline! You've been exposing yourself!" she said, looking at the giant furry beast with concern.

"Yeah..." she answered with a relaxed tone.

"A-aren't you hurt? I thought that..." she was still worried, small clouds of smoke surrounded Marceline's body, but she acted like if she couldn't feel a thing.

"Guess I got lucky this time... It may be daytime, but since it's cloudy and rainy it doesn't affect me that much. Anyway... Once we arrive, I can take care of my wounds, no problem." Marceline replied, trying to look at the girl with her giant blue-colored bat eyes.

"Huh?" The elemental blinked, an expression of disbelief on her face "You're unbelievable..."

"Hehe, of course I am." There was proud in her voice.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn and Jake were sitting on the floor, waiting for Princess Bubblegum and Lady Rainicorn to return. Peppermint Butler had been bringing them cups of tea every now and then, probably trying to help them ease their nervousness. But the truth was that he was the only one feeling uneasy, and his nervousness soon rivaled Jake's.

"Oh Finn, I'm so worried. PB and Rainicorn have been gone like forever." Jake said, turning his body into a broken clock.

"That earthquake was terrible... I wonder how's Beemo doing, and in what condition the Tree Fort must be right now. I hope they're okay..." Finn replied, playing with his teaspoon.

"I'm so lucky because my house is not attached to the ground, so that earthquake couldn't possibly affect my stuff...!" the purple cloud stopped to think for a moment and then stared back at her friends with worry "That wasn't nice, right? I'm so sorry! When I'm nervous I talk a lot more than I should." LSP said, floating around them uncontrollably.

"You must be worried aaaall the time then, hehe." Jake said, chuckling at her.

"You know, this is not the time to be mocking me!" LSP cried in annoyance.

The human boy stared at them with a smile, and then he lifted his gaze towards the broken windows, just in time to see the serpent-like figure of Lady Rainicorn approach the Candy Castle.

"Huh? Look! It's Lady!" Finn said with relief.

"Hey guys!" PB said, arriving to the place and jumping off from Lady's back "You have no idea... It's a complete mess out there, but luckily everyone seems to be alright... thank Glob."

"I'm happy to see you're back safe an' sound, baby." Jake said, hugging Lady Rainicorn.

"오 당신이 바보야!" Lady said, hugging him happily as well.

"I know it took me a little more than you expected, but I stopped by the library and brought this!" Bubblegum took out a giant, old, big, and way too dusty book off her side.

However, it was so heavy that she had to drop it on the floor, creating a cloud of dust and making everyone cough in the process.

"What the lump is that?" LSP said between coughs, while covering her mouth.

"This book is called _'The Hero's Chronicles'_; it's an adventurer's diary, wrote down by Billy himself!" the princess replied enthusiastically.

"No way!" Jake exclaimed, smelling it in search for Billy's smelly scent "Hey, it's true!"

"Algebraic! I can't believe it!" Finn said, he was getting excited just by the mention of his idol's name.

The gang sat around the book while Princess Bubblegum opened it, and quickly began to navigate through its pages.

"Well, the plan is to look for the part in which Billy fights the Lich, and see if we can find a clue about his weaknesses, or at least how to lock him away once again." she focused on her reading, not really looking at them.

"Then you'd better get started princess, because I won't stand another freaking earthquake!" the fifteen-year-old princess complained.

"I'm on it, LSP... huh?" she took out her glasses and tried to re-read one part again, but not even with her glasses on was she to be able to read it. She then looked at them, gasping in annoyance.

"What's wrong princess?" Jake asked.

"This book is impossible to read!" the candy princess cried.

"What?!" Everyone asked in shock.

"This handwriting is a total disaster! I can't understand what it says, not even a word!" the princess complained, taking off her glasses and angrily smashing them against the floor.

"Let me see..." Jake said, pulling the old book towards him. "Yeah, I've seen this before; I have the same problem with Finn all the time... He's the only one able to understand his own handwriting."

"Hehe, that's true. Wait..." Finn thought about it for a minute "... I'm like Billy!" he laughed happily "Shmowzow!"

"No! Nothing is 'Shmowzow'" LSP replied, annoyed by their lack of brain activity. "Are you suggesting that the only one who can read this book is that 'Billy' guy?"

"LSP is right! What are we going to do? Billy must have died centuries ago." Princess Bubblegum said, staring hopelessly at the two brothers.

"Nah..." Jake said with a blank expression on his tranquil face.

"He's alive, we've met him before." Finn added, the same expression on his features.

"Wha- are you serious?! Guys, that's incredible!" PB replied, jumping from her seat and cleaning up her dress. "Now all we have to do is find him and ask him to tell us about the Lich!"

"Wait, do you mean we have to go outside?! Where we'll be totally exposed to that deadly freak, that you all have been talking about this whole time?!" LSP questioned, full of distress.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." Bubblegum replied with a relieved smile.

"What?! And miss all the action? You must be lumping crazy princess."

"Hehe, don't worry! We'll take care of you." Finn said, picking up his green backpack. "Hey Jake! What time is it?

"ADVENTURE TIME!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

Thus, our heroes started their journey, trying to remember where this mighty hero's crack was located. Along the way they checked on their friends, and quickly realized that Ooo would need a few repairs after all this 'Lich incident' ends.

However, they couldn't find all of their friends; yes, they were worried about the wild Vampire Queen, whom they thought would be hiding inside some cave near the Candy Kingdom, and would show herself when the night fell... But she never did.

"Oh Glob, I knew I shouldn't have let her go with the dawn coming up so soon..." PB said, a feeling of regret on her stomach.

"우리 모두가 그녀가 그렇게 쉽게 패배할 수 없다 알고 이봐, 자네들."

"Yeah, Lady's right, Marceline is a thousand years old. She must have been through this kind of situation at least a couple of times." Jake replied, observing his surroundings. "She'll probably pop out in any moment just to scare the math out of us!"

"Jake's right, there's no need to worry." Finn said, a small smile on his face.

"Maybe you're right... I should stop worrying so much." Bubblegum said, lowering her head.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Far away on the Ice Kingdom, the Ice King stood in front of his castle's window, staring at the landscape before him with his telescope.

"This is weird indeed... I can't see those fools playing in their tree... I bet they're in the Candy Kingdom, having the princess all for themselves like they always do! Right, Gunter?"

"..." There was no response from the penguin.

"Gunter?"

"..." Silence.

"Gunter, Gunter Gunter... Gunter!" the old king insisted.

"…"

"GUNTER! Where are y-?"

"WENK!" the penguin yelled, jumping out of nowhere.

"AAAAH! Gunter! Don't you ever scare me like that again!" the wizard ran towards Gunter and hugged him with great care "I was worried about ya sweetheart..."

"Wenk?" the bird blinked in confusion.

**x+x+x+x+x**

The last rays of sunlight hid behind the Rocky Mountains, the rain diminishing as time went by.

"Finally! The sun is gone... I though the night would never come..." Marceline said, lifting her gaze towards the starry skies that surrounded them.

"It looks like the rain is stopping too..." Flame Princess smiled, staring at the sky just like her.

"Good... Say, can you fly on your own?" the vampire asked. She was already tired of holding the fiery being, burning her skin with every passing second.

"Yes I can!" Flame Princess replied happily.

"Ok, get ready 'cause I'm going to let you go! One... Two..." Marceline began to count, then a sudden smirk was drawn on her face. When she was about to say three, the vampire decided to cut her words and just drop the girl in the air, after all... what's life without a few innocent pranks?

"HEY!" The princess screamed while falling, only to turn herself on fire a couple of seconds after realizing what had just happened. "Marceline! What's wrong with you? Why did you let me fall like that?" the fiery girl yelled, still in shock because of the vampire's actions "I thought you were going to count to three!"

"Hahahaha! Just a little prank..." Marceline chuckled "If you're going to stay with me, you better get used to that! Hahaha!" she laughed, returning to her regular form. "If only you had seen your face... It was priceless! Hahaha!"

"And here I thought I had met someone I could trust..." FP muttered on a low voice, talking to herself, and clearly annoyed by her new companion's behavior.

"That's what those runts always say, hehe!" Marceline changed to a more serene expression "I wonder how they're doing after that earthquake..."

"Runts? Are you talking about your friends?" the young princess inquired, catching up with Marceline.

The Vampire Queen remained in silence for a moment. "They're probably doing just fine... They're a little bit stupid, but they can take care of themselves." Marceline whispered while staring at Flame Princess, who was now flying by her side.

The fiery girl kept flying while she looked at the ground beneath them, until she noticed something strange. A big hole surrounded by dry foliage appeared over what seemed to have once been a forest. A bad feeling came to her, sending chills down her spine.

Flame Princess shook her head and called the other girl's attention "Hey Marceline! What's that?" she inquired, causing the vampire to stop.

"Huh?" Marceline mumbled, following her friend's gaze "WHAT THE?! Th-The Evil Forest! It's gone! What in the world could have-?" she wondered in astonishment for a second. Then the chills running through her body warned the vampire about a perverse presence below them "Let's hide!" Marceline ordered, descending quickly and hiding herself behind a rock. The young princess followed her and landed by her side. "I hope that thing didn't see us... Argh, you're too bright! Can't you stop shinning or somethin'?!"

"That thing?" the fiery girl repeated in confusion "Ugh, what's that smell?" Flame Princess asked, clearly disgusted by the scent that surrounded the area. She covered her nose with both hands in a poor attempt to repel the stench, but that didn't help in the slightest way.

"That's the scent of death... Everything here is dead and rotten... But how can this be happening so fast?" Marceline said, quickly analyzing the area. The princess looked at her, she knew that Marceline wouldn't admit it, but she was shivering of fear. "Look! Over there!" the vampire found what she had been looking for.

And that's when both of them saw him... The Lich, who was wandering the wasteland that once used to be the Evil Forest. He was eating something, but they couldn't tell what it was because it was terribly disfigured. Suddenly, The Lich noticed the two presences behind him and turned around looking for them. Flame Princess gasped and instinctively grabbed Marceline's arm.

"Auch!" Marceline whispered, rubbing her burned arm. "Don't do that..." she looked forward again "Shoot! He's coming! Don't move! Don't you even dare to breathe!" Marceline ordered as she tried to hide their faces. Flame Princess just nodded.

The Lich started moving towards them, the air becoming so heavy with tension that it was difficult for the two shivering girls to breathe. That was when Marceline remembered something really important that Princess Bubblegum had told her a few days after her incident with the Lich's well of power. If you weren't strong-minded or if you weren't wearing a special jewel when that thing is around, he could easily take control of your mind!

"Darn it! There's nothing we can do! We'll have to take the risk!" the vampire growled, peeking out of their hiding. "If that thing comes any closer we'll be..."

"What are you talking about?" Flame Princess asked, completely terrified.

Marceline turned her head to face her, a look of fear in her eyes "When I give you the sign, fly as fast and far as you can! Just get out of here!"

"What?!" the fire girl replied, obviously not willing to leave her new companion on her own against that powerful creep.

"Just do as I say, DAMN IT!" Marceline shouted abruptly, pushing Flame Princess out of the way.


	5. Penguins and Heroes!

_Tale 5:_ Penguins and Heroes!

"Now! Go away! Hurry!" Marceline ordered.

Flame Princess did as told and flew away, using all the energy she had to get away from that macabre scenery. Meanwhile, Marceline decided to reveal herself and face the Lich alone.

"Hey, you stupid jerk!" he lifted his gaze and looked at her direction "Eat THIS!" she yelled at the same time that she threw a powerful fire blast at the Lich, sending him back several miles away. "Haha! Take that, you butt-head!" she exclaimed, but her happiness didn't last for long.

The Lich landed considerably hard on his back, but immediately tried to stand up. Marceline just stared at him, her eyes and mouth wide opened. "_Wh-what the? This guy... is... awesome!_" she thought in sincere amazement, while remaining still, completely paralyzed with fear "Hehehe, well... I have to go..." the vampire stammered, taking a few steps back "Just... stay there!" she yelled, repeating her attack, throwing him even further away. Then she turned around, took a deep breath and ran the heck away from that place.

The Lich quickly recovered from the blast and stared at the flying figure escaping away. He decided to just ignore what happened; after all, he had better plans for those who tried to oppose him.

And so, he decided it was time to begin. He had already come up with something good. Since the inhabitants of Ooo had given him so much trouble, he would first return them the favor before he sucked their lives out of their bodies. "_I'll make them suffer until they beg for me to kill them!_"

The Lich then summoned all of his powers and flew towards the planet's atmosphere where he could have a good view of the Ooocian continent. Placing his arms down, he started to make several hand movements; up, down, to one side, to the other, and twisting circles. Just moving them in every random direction he could come up with.

As soon as he started making this, the ground under his feet started to do the same. The Lich had messed up the whole land. Soon everyone in Ooo would feel the earth moving violently. Everything would fall apart, even the mountains, and the ocean covering the ground. Giant chunks of the continent soon began to fly in every direction, following the Lich's movements.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"No! Not again!" LSP shouted, seeing as the world around her began to crumble.

"Again? Are you crazy?! This is not an earthquake!" Princess Bubblegum replied, tightening her grip on Lady Rainicorn's neck.

"It's like if the Earth was being torn into pieces!" Jake exclaimed, his eyes opened in astonishment.

"지구! 나는 우리에게 좋은 전망을주지!" Lady said while ascending into the air.

"Good idea Lady, that way we will be able see what's going on!" Princess Bubblegum agreed.

Lady Rainicorn took the group as high as she could, dodging the giant chunks of earth that were flying everywhere around them.

"OH - MY - GLOB! The whole land has been mixed up!" LSP cried, staring down at the chaos beneath her.

"H-how are we going to find Billy's place now?" Finn asked, scratching his head. The whole land was being scattered, nothing was where it was supposed to be anymore.

"Don't worry; you should all be thankful that the mighty Jake is here! Hehe." the magical dog laughed while pointing himself with a giant thumb "Just give me that old book and let my nose do its job!"

"Here, you can have it!" Princess Bubblegum said, giving him the book.

Jake started sniffing the book, and then he stretched his neck up in the air, searching for Billy's scent. Then shrunk back to sniff the book again, and then stretched himself up again. He kept repeating this process for about two minutes until...

"Would you stop that already?!" LSP said, finally losing her patience.

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to make sure I got his scent right, I don't want us to bump with the Lich or something..." Jake apologized and began to sniff the air once again "_Sniff... Sniff..._ yeah he's close... near the Evil Forest... wait... yeagh!" he returned to his normal form, covering his face with both hands "There's another scent, and it's awful n' stinky! Oh, my poor nose..." the dog complained as he rubbed it softly "_Sniff... sniff..._ Hey, isn't that...?"

"What is it Jake?" Finn inquired, placing his hand on the dog's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"I... _sniff... sniff..._ there's another scent, slightly familiar... But it's pretty weak, I... _sniff..._ I think that's Marceline!" Jake stared at them with a concerned look on his face.

"Marceline?!" everyone asked.

"See? I told you she was fine!" Finn exclaimed, placing his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner.

"Is she coming in this direction?" Princess Bubblegum asked, staring anxiously at Jake.

"Well... I'm not sure if she's fine... I got her scent near the Evil Forest and all. I think I couldn't pick it before, because of that terrible smell." the stretchy dog turned his head sideways and began to shake his fists nervously "Oh Glob! I hate to say it, but I think there's a chance that she may have ran into that freak!"

"No way! Jake, are you sure?" Finn asked, quickly losing his relaxed position.

"Yeah, but I don't think Marceline's there anymore..." Jake began to sniff the air one more time "_Sniff... sniff..._ her scent's really weak, she must have escaped. _Sniff... sniff..._ Wait! There's another scent, pretty weak too! It's like... _sniff... sniff..._ something burning?"

"Burning? What do you mean burning?" LSP replied in confusion.

"Well I don't know, I'm just telling you whatever scent my nose catches, it's not like if I knew how everything smells like." the dog answered, raising his shoulders.

"Oh c'mon guys, we don't have time to worry about assumptions! We have to hurry up before the Lich makes another move!" Bubblegum stressed, pushing them to move on.

"She's right... Let's go!" Finn exclaimed, looking forward to the horizon. "_Burning? Could it be?_" He shook his head in denial, not wanting to light up his hopes.

"어느쪽으로 제이크?" Lady Rainicorn asked.

"To the north! Towards the Ice Kingdom! Or wherever it used to be! I think..." Jake answered a bit confused.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Jake's nose was right. The Ice Kingdom was currently being carried away from its original location, its inhabitants panicking and succumbing to insanity... Not that its inhabitants were that sane to begin with...

"Whaaaaaaaa! Gunter, what's going on? The castle is moving like _super turbo crazy_ fast!" the Ice King cried, throwing himself over the cold floor.

"Wenk! Wenk! Wenk!" Gunter was running in circles around him.

"Whaaaaaaaa! I don't want to die! I'm so young and handsome! Gunter, hug me!" the old wizard yelled in desperation, catching the penguin and tightly pressing him against his chest.

"Wenk! Wen-!" Gunther moaned while lungs where being crushed by the Ice King's fierce embrace.

"What do you mean you can't breathe?!" the old blue man replied angrily.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Flame Princess stopped her restless flying in an attempt to try to catch some breath "Wh-what's going on?" she gasped between breaths, staring at all the chaos around her "This isn't like the last earthquake! Everything is floating out of place!" Flame princess cried in astonishment. She had already flown a great distance as fast as she could; it was no surprise that she was feeling exhausted. Everything had changed so much since she left the Fire Kingdom; her life would never be the same after this.

"Flame Princess!"

"Huh?" the fiery girl heard someone calling her from afar. She immediately turned her head into the voice's direction. "Ah! Marceline!" her face started to brighten up a little, seeing as her partner came back in one piece "I'm impressed! You flew all the way here and managed to reach me real fast!" Flame princess exclaimed in admiration, flying towards Marceline "A-are you all right? I saw you tried to face that creep on your own..."

"Huff...huff... huff..." The vampire was breathing heavily. She simply stopped in midair and put her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Some sweat drops rolled down her cheeks. The only answer she could muster for the young princess was a thumbs-up.

**x+x+x+x+x**

The crescent moon glowed in the night sky as a serpent-like and colorful figure flew across it. A valley of fire rose beneath them, warming away the cold of the midnight breeze. The place in which the Ice Kingdom used to be was now the Fire Kingdom. Things were going to get pretty fired up from this point forward.

The gang stared at the blazing wasteland below them; the flames dimly illuminated their faces with an orange glow.

"That Lich guy really messed up this place! I mean we're supposed to be in the Ice Kingdom, but all I can see is fire everywhere!" LSP cried in angst.

"I know. I'm really worried about this... I never imagined he could bring so much chaos into the land... I wonder how everyone is doing at the Candy Kingdom. I think I should have stayed with them..." Princess Bubblegum sighed, lowering her head.

"Oh princess, please don't be sad... Even if you were there, what could you have done about it? There's not much you can do to help them if you stayed there. At least you're here, trying to find a solution." Finn whispered, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah princess, we need you. You're an important part of this team, and to beat this freak we need everyone's help! Finn is the butt kicker, Lady is the flashing rainbow, Marceline is the tough puncher, I'm the stretchy nose, LSP is the... uh... you know! And you're the brain, remember?" Jake explained energetically.

"I guess you're right, thank you guys." Princess Bubblegum replied, smiling dimly.

"Excuse me! I'm the what?!" LSP yelled, crossing her arms and frowning at the magical dog.

"You're the... um... Finn, help me out!" Jake said while poking Finn with his elbow.

"Hey, don't throw your problems at me man!" Finn replied nervously. Certainly nobody wanted to deal with the Lumpy Space Princess whenever she got that mad.

"I'm wait-ing" LSP remarked, putting her hands on her 'hips'.

"Mmm... you're the... the..." Jake mumbled, trying to think on what to say to calm the annoying girl down. "That's it!" he said snapping his fingers "You're our secret weapon! You're the annoyer!" Jake smiled, satisfied for finally coming up with something.

"... The what?!" Lumpy Space Princess frowned, but then stopped to think about it "Well... I guess I can be pretty annoying if I want to." she whispered.

"Sure you can!" Jake sighted in relief, wiping off the sweat from his forehead.

"Where to now Jake?" Finn asked, still leaning down to analyze the area.

"Hmmm... _sniff...sniff..._" Jake growled while sniffing the air "I think we're close, we should go down!"

"Okay Lady, time to descend." Bubblegum ordered and Lady Rainicorn took them down. As they approached to the ground, the heat became stronger, almost burning their skins.

"Ow! This place is lumping hot! I'm sweating like a pig!" LSP complained, waving her hand over her face to keep herself cool.

"I guess we are in the Fire Kingdom, but I don't remember Billy's place being near it." Finn commented, taking off his hat to keep himself cool as well.

"Well I think it is now, thanks to that creep, now nothing makes sense ..." Jake frowned "And you want to know what the worst part is? As we get deeper into the land the temperature is gonna keep going higher and higher." He warned them, remembering his previous experiences at the Fire Kingdom.

"Yeah? Then if everything in this place is in flames, how are we going to get through it, huh?" LSP asked, gazing at the pink princess.

"We'll need some sort of flame shield." Princess Bubblegum explained, while trying to come up with something.

"Perfect! Now how do we get one?" Finn asked, already getting impatient.

"I think I can help you!" A voice behind them suddenly said.

"Huh? Flambo!" Finn exclaimed, turning around to see the little fire imp standing on top of a rock. "What are you doing here?"

"To tell you the truth... I have no idea!" Flambo answered, scratching his head. "I was walking through the forest looking for something to eat, and suddenly the ground collapsed and I was sent flying in this direction... I think I must have hit my head really hard because I swear this place should be the Ice Kingdom!"

"Yeah well, we can explain what happened to you later, but we're in a hurry now!" Finn replied, bending down to talk to him.

"Hey Flambo! You said you could help us, are you going to use that spell that you used on me the last time we met?" Jake asked in excitement.

"I will, but only if you give me something to eat, I'm starving!" Flambo offered, rubbing his stomach with both hands.

"Yeah, of course! Would someone please give something good to eat to this gentleman?" Jake asked, gazing at the girls.

"Oh yes, because we all carry food with us every time we're forced to leave on a dangerous journey!" LSP yelled, floating towards Jake and pocking his nose.

"Don't worry; I think I might have something in my backpack." Finn meddled, taking his bag off from his shoulders and searching inside of it. "Aha! I found a cookie!" he yelled, handing the cookie over to Flambo.

Flambo took the cookie and put it over his head, when he took it out, it was completely burned, then he ate it.

"Hehehe toasty!" the small fire being said happily "Okay I'll help yous guys... Just stand still for a bit."

When everyone was ready, he began to move his hands in many different positions, fire symbols suddenly appearing in the air while he chanted something in an unknown language, then he spit at all of them, casting the Flame Shield spell. Each one of them was then, covered in a blue hue.

"Mathematical! Now we can go look for Billy!" Finn celebrated, jumping excitedly in one place.

"Okay let's get moving, we have no time to waste!" Princess Bubblegum ordered eagerly.

Everyone started walking through the fire and the flames, with Jake as the guide, LSP complaining and Flambo, as a new member of the small team, sitting on Princess Bubblegum's shoulder. A few minutes later, they finally reached the Fire Palace, the heart of the Fire Kingdom. It was surrounded by a lava river and flames bursting everywhere.

"D-don't tell me Billy's inside this place!" Jake cried in worry "The Flame King is math scary, and he has a terrible humor!"

"Well we don't have any other options; I guess I could try talking to him." Princess Bubblegum suggested.

"Hmmm that could work..." Jake sighed, rubbing his chin "He likes royalty and all that fancy stuff..."

"I can try to talk to him too!" LSP yelled.

"No, no! LSP please... you've done enough... hehe." the stretchy dog replied, patting her back.

"Hey Jake..." Finn whispered into his ear. "Do you think _she_ might be here?"

"I don't know man... maybe…" the yellow dog replied, but then something awfully important came into his mind "Oh right! That reminds me, Finn I've got something to tell you."

Jake then began to tell Finn about his adventure in the Fire Kingdom, and all the crazy stuff he had to come up with to please the Flame King. Including the 'Baron of the Grasslands' farce and the 'Prince Finn' dumb show.

"You WHAT?!" Finn screamed terrified. "Jake! You told him I was some kind of Prince?!"

"I'm sorry Finn! I just did it for your own good!" Jake tried to defend himself.

"Okay... that's alright... We'll just come up with something" Finn replied calming himself down, still a little worried about the whole situation, and thinking about what he would say to the Flame King if he were to see him.

"Guys! Are you gonna get inside here or not?" LSP asked, once again losing her patience. The rest of the gang had already gone through the palace's gates.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Meanwhile, the Ice King and Gunter were still trapped inside the Ice Castle, flying towards only Glob knows where...

"Whoa, Gunter we're flying! My kingdom is flying, but why?" the ice wizard wondered, shaking the penguin in his hands.

"Wenk?" Gunter replied, staring at him.

"I wonder where is the castle taking us to? Any idea Gunter?"

"Wenk!"

"You're right! I should look through the window! Hahaha!" the Ice King stood up and walked carefully towards the triangular-shaped hole on the wall "Hey, what's that?" he asked, looking at the horizon "There are two people flying over there!"

"Wenk?"

**x+x+x+x+x**

Marceline and Flame Princess continued their journey towards the vampire's house. Suddenly, Marceline heard a strange sound nearby, and turned around to check what it was.

"Hey Flame Princess, something's coming right behind us..." she said, calling for the fire girl's attention.

"Huh?" Flame Princess turned her head. "It looks like giant piece of ice!" she shouted, watching in astonishment, as it seemed to get bigger and bigger with every dying second.

"Yes, and it's coming at a great speed!" Marceline replied. "Hey! Watch out!" the Vampire Queen warned, pushing Flame Princess down, in an attempt to dodge that gigantic piece of ice.

Once it had passed through, both girls stared at each other, neither one believing their eyes.

"I-I think it came from the Ice Kingdom!" Flame Princess gasped, still blinking in shock.

"Yeah... and is going straight to my house!" Marceline shrieked "All of my stuff is in my house!" she yelled, placing her hands on her head. "Let's chase it!"

And soon, the two started flying behind it at a quick pace. "_If something happens to my house, I swear I'm going to blow that Lich creep into pieces!_" Marceline thought to herself, clenching her teeth in anger.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Hey Gunter, I think we hit them!" the Ice King said, searching for the two flying figures.

"Wenk?"

Suddenly the Ice Kingdom started to descend rapidly until it finally crashed onto the ground, ice and snow spreading everywhere around the Mountain Kingdom.

"Ow! Gunter!" the Ice King moaned, lying on the crystal floor.

"Wenk?" the penguin asked.

"We stopped flying." the icy wizard whispered, right before fainting.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Hurry up, we're almost there!" Marceline urged, suddenly feeling the cold taking over her body. "Wh-what the? It's freezing out here! Everything is covered with snow!" she stuttered between shivers, her arms crossed around her body in an attempt to warm herself up a little.

"Yeah... and with penguins..." Flame Princess replied, leaving her mouth wide open, disbelief taking over her golden face.


	6. Billy's Inferno!

_Tale 6:_ Billy's Inferno!

Jake sang as they walked through the Fire Palace's halls.

_Who's the greatest warrior ever? A hero of renown?_

_Who slayed an evil ocean? Who cast The Lich King down?_

"_Billy!_" Everyone on the group yelled in unison.

"Mmm... Jake, I think we should stop singing." Finn whispered, pocking Jake's shoulder with a nervous stare.

"Why? Everyone likes this song! Besides, if we're looking for Billy, it'll probably help us out." Jake replied, ignoring his brother's worries.

"Yeah but... You said that the Flame King has a really bad temper... What if he doesn't like singing?"

"Finn, what part of _'everyone likes this song'_ you didn't get?"

"I know Jake, but-!"

"Butts are for pooping, bro! Everything is going to be alright!"

"Jake please, the guards are giving us some pretty weird glares!" the human boy warned, turning his head in every direction. The tall humanoid masses of solidified lava with small flames on their spiky heads were staring at them with their rough red blazing eyes. Each of them held a staff lighted with fire on its top, which seemed to be ready to be used on the blue-colored group of unexpected visitors. The young hero swallowed in nervousness.

"Nonsense!" Jake replied and continued singing. _"And what about that time the evil Fire Count captured a damsel f-f-fair?"_ the magical dog stopped himself when he noticed the strange looks he was getting from every fire elemental in the hall. "Oh! Hehe! Hello again guys! We are-" he tried to speak with 'diplomacy' but, I think you can guess what happened...

"Get them!" a flame guard shouted, pointing his staff towards the gang.

Soon, our heroes had their wrists tied with iron chains and were thrown into the royal room, where they were put down on their knees in front of the Flame King's throne. A giant empty lamp with a golden base hanged from the ceiling, Finn lifted his blue eyes in its direction and wondered, what was the purpose of having such object in the Fire Kingdom? They were missing some kind of light, perhaps? But fire elementals don't need that, do they?

"What are you doing in my kingdom?! Tell me at once!" Flame King demanded, driving the boy harshly out of his thoughts.

"I-I think there's a mistake, w-would you please tell us why is it that we're tied up?" Princess Bubblegum asked nervously, making the best humble smile she could muster.

"Because you are intruders! And I won't ever allow non-fire elementals in my kingdom again!" the King replied while Jake and Finn tried to hide away their faces "They bring nothing but trouble to me and my people!"

"Flame King, please! We're not here to harm you or your people; we are here to help you!" Bubblegum said, hoping to win his trust.

"Help?! _Pourquoi_? We don't need help! Who are you anyway? Identify yourselves!" the big fireball covered with his copper armor ordered.

"I-I am Princess Bubblegum, ruler of the Candy Kingdom." she answered, trying to maintain her sense of decorum in a vain attempt to mask her fear.

"And I'm Lumpy Space Princess, and I want you to—!" Bubblegum quickly placed her hand over Lumpy Space Princess' mouth before she could say something else and ruin the whole plan. A drop of sweat rolled down her pink cheek.

"Ahaha! I'm very pleased to hear that! Two princesses from the other kingdoms have come to help us! Guards, let them go!" the King ordered, leaning back on his throne. "Strange things have been happening, my people is scared and confused. I sent my knights to investigate, and they told me that this weird events are affecting not only the Fire Kingdom, but also the entire land of Ooo." the fire being rubbed his chin. "I was hoping to hear some news about it from the other rulers of the land."

"That's good, we may have the information that you are looking for." Princess Bubblegum claimed as she tried to relax herself. "You see, this whole mess has been caused by an ancient evil creature known as the Lich. My kingdom was attacked by him some time ago, but the hero of our land managed to defeat him..." her voice cracked "Or at least... that's what we thought, until yesterday."

"And now you're looking for my help to defeat him?" The Flame King inquired, resting his face against his fist.

"No, we don't wish to put anyone else in danger. We might have the clue to beat him, but we need to find Billy the hero in order to do so." the sugary ruler continued. "We know he's somewhere around here, and that's why we came."

"Billy the hero?! Did you just said: **'Billy The Hero'?!**" the king suddenly shouted, changing his expression into one of anger. The gang had to jump backwards in order to avoid his exploding flames.

"Yes... E-excuse me, is something wrong about him?" Bubblegum nervously asked, feeling her chest as it trembled. Her heart was beating like crazy out of fear.

"Something wrong?!** Something Wrong?!** Everything is wrong about that filthy rat! He's our prisoner!"

"Prisoner?! Why would Billy be someone's prisoner?!" meddled Finn, not believing what he had just heard.

"Finn, I don't think that's a very good idea…" Jake whispered while trying to calm his brother down.

"I don't understand! He's a hero! Heroes can't be prisoners!" the human boy continued to argue, standing up to face the Flame King.

"A Hero? How can we consider him a hero after what he did to the Fire Count?" the King replied with a harsh tone.

"Oh, shoot!" the human cursed, remembering the old legend of Billy and the Fire Count. Although he didn't know if they truly cared about the Count, or if it just had something to do with their race's pride. "But the Fire Count was evil!" he said, trying to appeal to the king's moral code.

"So what?" the Flame King hissed, before he noticed something. He squinted his eyes, his gaze focused on Finn. "Wait a minute... I've seen your face before..." he then recognized Jake, hopelessly trying to hide behind the Lumpy Space Princess. "I've seen you two before!" the massive fireball yelled, lifting his heavy body from his seat.

"Oh, clam balls!" Jake exclaimed, slapping his forehead.

"Yes! You're that so called 'Awesome Prince from the Grasslands'! And that dog must be the fake Baron that came here in your name! Tell me what have you two done with my daughter!" the King demanded, pointing at the two brothers with his fiery arm.

"Guys! What the cabbage is going on here?" Princess Bubblegum demanded, not really understanding the fiery ruler's sudden reaction towards them.

"I'll tell you what's going on, princess! These two must have blown something up... yet again!" the lumpy girl blamed them, crossing her arms in resignation.

"I think I said: Where is my daughter?! She left after **You** rejected her, and she hasn't returned ever since then!" the Flame King shouted one more time, forcing both the boy and dog to squeal like little baby chipmunks.

"Here we go again!" Flambo complained to himself as he rolled his eyes in resignation.

"Shhh... Flambo! You're not helping us at all!" Jake replied, elbowing the flambit.

"Flame King, I'm sorry, but we don't know where your daughter is! We thought that, maybe, she had returned here!" Finn answered anxiously, knowing that his words wouldn't please the angry fire elemental. "I-I wish I knew where did she—..."

"I've heard enough!" the fiery ruler interrupted, his flames growing bigger, and then spoke angrily to Bubblegum. "Princess Bubblegum, is this rat supposed to be your hero?"

"Well..." she turned back to look at the human boy with sadness in her eyes."Finn, what have you done?" she asked, wondering how did he end up messing with the Fire Kingdom's royalty.

"Princess I... I... I'm a fool." the boy replied, lowering his head. If only he'd known that his crush on Flame Princess would cause so much trouble... However, he knew that he couldn't help falling in love with her. Why did she have to run away from him?

"Oh Finn…" Bonnibel whispered, a bit disappointed. This time Finn had really spoiled their chances of succeeding with their mission.

"Forget everything I just said! Send this group of rats to the dungeons immediately! The Flame King ordered, hitting the volcanic ground with his foot.

Five flame guards approached them immediately. They grabbed them by their upper arms and took them within the castle's passages, across a rock bridge that was surrounded by boiling magma. As they walked through it, a red eye opened and followed the new prisoners with its creepy stare above its lava pool.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Gunter, I think we are safe now, but I would like to know what happened. Where are we now?" the Ice King wondered, leaning out of his castle's window.

"You're in the Mountain Kingdom." A voice replied on his back.

"Oh! okay, thank you Gunter..." the old man suddenly blinked in confusion "Gunter? B-but you can't talk... When did you learn how to..." the Ice King mumbled as he turned himself around.

"Hi!" Marceline smiled, greeting him with her raised hand.

"Whaaaaa! Who are you?! How did you get inside here?! And what have you done to Gunter?" the blue man screeched, jumping backwards in surprise.

"Oh, you mean this little guy?" Marceline replied in a relaxed tone as she held the penguin up. The vampire seemed curious for a moment and decided to turn the bird upside down in order to guess what kind of creature he was.

"Wenk." Gunter blinked, staring at his master from a new perspective.

"I think I like him." Marceline commented while she played with the little penguin's flippers.

"He's kinda cute!" Flame Princess exclaimed, arriving to the vampire's side. "Can I hold him?"

"Gaaaah! Another one!?" the Ice King screamed, pointing at the newcomer in annoyance.

"What the math are you saying?!" Marceline questioned, staring back at the fiery girl in confusion. "You'll burn him!"

"Oh yeah, right!" the young princess chuckled, scratching the back of her head "I forgot about that!"

The Vampire Queen squinted softly, showing a mixture of disbelieve and worry "How can you possibly—?!"

"Hey you two!" the Ice King interjected, creating blue sparks on his fingers "Stop playing around with my penguins!"

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" Marceline inquired, pocking the bird's belly.

"I don't know. All the penguins look the same to me." Flame Princess answered, leaning closer to her and staring at Gunter.

"And stop ignoring meeee!" the old wizard shouted angrily at the two girls who had dared to enter his frosty home without permission "Do you know who I am? I am the Ice King! Do you know what _'The Ice King'_ means?" he growled, preparing to shoot them with his magic freezing powers.

"Sure! It means you're cold..." Flame Princess frowned, a few fiery sparks flew into the air "And that I can melt you down!"

"What?! No!" the old man yelled in denial, slapping his face impatiently "Wait! Melt me down? Why would you do that?" he demanded, stepping forward "Who do you think you are, huh?"

"I am Flame Princess!" she replied, already annoyed by him "Do you know what _'Flame Princess'_ means?" the young girl asserted with a growl, lighting up the fire on her fists.

"Noooo!" the icy king screamed in horror, taking cover beneath a crystal table "Wait... Did you say princess?" he asked, staring happily at the fire elemental "Hmmm... But you're just a little girl. No, it'll never work; fire is too dangerous, especially for the Ice King..."

"What the heck are you mumbling about?" Marceline asked, floating above his head.

"That's none of your business!" the Ice King replied, and then stared at the older girl for a moment "Are you a princess too?"

"Hahaha! A Princess? Me?" the black haired girl laughed, landing in front of him. "I'm Marceline, the Vampire Queen!"

"Ghaaa! Vampire you said? No wonder you're so creepy!" the wizard claimed "_Why is it that only freaks come to visit me by their own will?" _The old man wondered, scratching his long white beard.

"Thank you very much, hehe! Listen, we're not looking for trouble..." Marceline announced, placing her hands on her hips "You almost hit us when you passed flying with your giant piece of ice! And I also noticed that you were heading towards my house! I just feared that you could crash against it, but since you didn't and we happen to be so tired..." she paused to stretch her arms "We decided to stop for a little while and rest here!" the vampire grinned, putting on the pink coat that Princess Bubblegum had given her "Man it's cold in here!"

"What? Who told you that the Ice Castle was a public rest stop, huh?" the Ice King complained as he emerged from beneath his table.

"I think I already told you that... **We Are Not Looking For Trouble!**" Marceline hissed, baring her fangs menacingly as her eyes became bright green and empty.

"Aaaaaaah! B-but o-of course, ma'am. Stay for as long as you want!" The poor old man replied, sweating and shivering on a distant corner.

"See Flame Princess? I told you that he was going to let us stay, hehe..." the Vampire Queen smiled, staring back at her partner while leaning against a cool ice wall. Flame Princess simply grinned in agreement and nodded.

"... Wenk?" Gunter wondered.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Oh Glob! What are they going to do to us?" Lumpy Space Princess said, a worried tone in her voice. "I hope they don't try to kill us... Oh Glob I'm so hungry! I could eat a sandwich right now..."

The gang was now trapped inside a small jail, surrounded by hot lava rivers and giant raging flames.

"Oh no, it's so hot in here… Even with the Flame Shield on, I feel like I could melt in any minute..." Bubblegum used her now blue sleeve to remove the sweat from her face and then stared at the floor, trying to imagine how to escape from their prison.

"At least there are lots of coal around here!" said Flambo, digging on the scorched ground to grab a big chunk of charcoal.

"Flambo, once again, you're not helping at all..." Jake replied, holding the cell's bars and looking outside.

"This is all my fault! I should've stayed quiet!" Finn moaned in frustration, covering his face with his hands. "How are we going to find Billy now?"

"Billy?" a voice in a jail next to theirs asked with curiosity. "Are you looking for Billy the Hero?"

"Y-yes! Who are you? Do you know where he is?" Finn replied, trying to get a better look of the other cell.

"Heehee! I'm just a poor old woman who used to live with him." the voice said.

"Wait! Aren't you that funny old lady that we saved from the Swamp Giant?" Jake asked.

"Heehee! Don't tell me you're those small paladins from that day two years ago! Haha! I'm so happy you came here to save us!" the old lady said, dancing with joy.

"Yeah... but we can't save you... we're trapped in here as well..." said Finn, regret seizing his voice.

"What are you saying? Are you going to give up so soon? You certainly are not the same heroes that I met back then. What happened to the courageous kids that managed to fill the void where the hero's heart used to be?"

"Mmm... You're right! What the math am I doing? I'm don't act like this!" Finn said, standing up and closing his fist. "I am a hero! Just like Billy! And I will take us out of here so we can kick the Lich's dead butt!"

"I'm glad you regained your spirit and all that stuff..." Lumpy Space Princess added. "But tell me, how the lump are you going to get us out of here, huh?"

"Mmm... I... I ah..." Finn mumbled, trying to think of something.

"Finn, maybe you can use the Enchiridion!" Princess Bubblegum suggested. "I'm sure you can find something useful in there!"

"Hehe... that's not a bad idea Princess, but I... I ah... I gave it to a bear, hehe..." Finn stammered with a nervous chuckle.

"You did **What**!?" Princess Bubblegum yelled, not really believing what the boy had just said.

"I told you not to give something so important to a bear!" Jake said, remembering the whole bear identity theft fiasco.

"I see, so that means this so-call heroes blew it up again after all, huh?" Lumpy Space Princess commented, arching her eyebrow.

"Argh! Do you think this easy for me? Why don't you help us to get out of here then?" Finn replied with contained anger.

"Hmmm... Alright." The lumpy princess said, closing her eyes in a relaxed manner.

"Yeah, that's what I thou—Wait... Did you just said: 'alright'?" Jake asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Sure! It will be easy... I just have to use these pretty keys!" the purple cloud answered as she took said keys out.

"LSP, where did you get those?" Princess Bubblegum asked, pointing at the shinning objects with her finger.

"Well, when those hot guys were taking us away, I saw that one of them carried something shiny. Then I just decided to snatch them so that I could make me some pretty jewelry with them."

"You mean you've had the keys the whole time and you didn't tell us?!" Jake yelled in frustration.

"But of course not! I was hoping that you guys would do something heroic to get us out of here without having to use them..." Lumpy Space Princess complained, unlocking the door. "Can't you see how beautiful they are? They're like, golden and with rubies on top!"

"That girl is plane crazy!" Flambo exclaimed, staring at her in amusement.

"Okay old lady, you're free now. Can you tell us where Billy's cage is?" Finn asked, carrying the small old woman on his back.

"He is kept inside the highest tower of the Fire Palace. But you must be careful, that's the same place where the Flame King's bedroom is located."

"Oh fudge! I'm sure it's full of guards inside there." Bubblegum warned, running by their side.

"We have to think of way of creating a distraction... Let me see..." Finn said.

"I know!" Jake replied from behind the group. "I have an idea, but it's very risky and we have to move wicked fast!"

"Tell us Jake! We're ready!" Princess Bubblegum demanded, a spark of determination shinning in her eyes.

"Wait! I'm not ready yet!" the Lumpy Space Princess cried anxiously as she flew behind them.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Marceline couldn't help to let out a loud yawn "Hey Ice King, you sure are a boring guy." She said, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I'm not boring! I can do a lot of awesome stuff!" the Ice King yelled in response.

"Like what?" the Vampire Queen asked sarcastically, lying back in the air and staring at him with one eye.

"Yeah, tell us!" Flame Princess demanded impatiently as she was also growing bored of the old man. The fiery girl was floating in the air as well, trying not to get close to the ice. She had attempted to sit on the ground and ended up hurting herself because of its cold temperature.

Flame Princess grinned softly. She was happy about having found a friend who could stand her flames, and she couldn't believe that she was living her own great adventure. Since the young princess was forced to spend most of her life locked inside a lantern, she had always dreamed of traveling throughout all of Ooo, having adventures, meeting new people and fighting bad guys.

Thanks to Marceline, the strange vampire girl, who was now insulting and mocking the Ice King for being a bad player on his own videogames, Flame Princess was finally able to live her dreams. That's when she remembered that all of this had been possible thanks to Finn and his dog, the two guys that changed her life forever, the fiery girl hadn't even thought about her father or the Flame Kingdom in a long time.

Yet, Flame Princess knew one thing for sure: she would never, ever, return to either of them. But what about Finn? After all, he did say that he would defy nature for her... But even though she actually liked him, Finn would always get hurt because of her... Flame Princess sighed in sadness; it was hard to be a fire elemental.

The young princess decided to stop thinking about all those negative things. After all, it was probable that she wouldn't even see Finn again. Flame Princess then looked around her and noticed that a bunch of penguins were surrounding her, probably searching for her warmth.

"_Hehe... You really like me, don't you guys?_" she thought.

"Hahaha! Look at you! You can't even beat level one!" Marceline laughed, holding one of the controllers and sitting by the Ice King's side.

"I already told you, it's not my fault!" the wizard protested, pausing the game so that he could look at her. "This controller must be broken or something!"

"Sure, sure... Hey, what else can you do besides sucking at videogames?" Marceline asked mockingly.

"Hey, that's not very nice of you! But well... If you must know, I'm a great musician!" the old man stared at her, his face full of pride.

"Really?!" the Vampire Queen replied cheerfully, levitating in front of him. "I'm a musician too! What kind of instrument do you play?"

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn, the Lumpy Space Princess, and Flambo were being chased by hundreds of flame guards down a long row of scarlet stairs. They had made it to the top of the Fire Palace, where they started a fuss (LSP's specialty) to call the attention of every guard in the tower.

"What's wrong with you guys? Can't you run any faster?" Finn shouted, mocking the blazing guards behind him.

"Hey genius, don't piss them off! I can't keep running any faster you know?" Lumpy Space Princess complained anxiously.

"But girl, yous don't even run! Yous float!" Flambo commented as he ran over his four extremities.

"It's Still Hard And Exhausting!" the spoiled brat yelled furiously.

"Well guys, there's nowhere else to run!" Finn said, a challenging grin creeping on his face. "Time to give this guys a fight to remember!" the young hero exclaimed, taking out his Demon Blood Sword.

"Yahoo!" Flambo yelled excitedly.

"Hey you, guys! What about me?" the lumpy princess cried in frustration. She didn't have a weapon to defend herself.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Meanwhile, Princess Bubblegum, Jake and the old lady had already managed to escape from the Flame Palace. Once outside, they called Lady Rainicorn and flew on her back towards the highest tower of the blazing castle.

"Get ready baby! Once we get up there I'll blow the wall with my big ol' fist, the sound will obviously attract the flame guards' attention, giving Finn and the rest time to escape from the palace. However, that stunt will cut our time to enter and rescue Billy… So we gotta move fast!" Jake explained to his girlfriend as he prepared himself to fight. "I need you to wait for PB and me, if we don't make it out in... let's say, two minutes, go back and take Finn and the others away from here, okay? _Man, I feel like I'm about to poop my pants_."

"제이크, 공주 걱정하지 마세요, 당신이 그것을하지 않는 경우에 우리가 당신을 위해 꼭 돌아올." Lady said confidently.

"Are you ready Jake?" Princess Bubblegum asked, holding the dungeon keys in her hand.

"I don't know..." the magical dog answered nervously.

"Jake!" the princess yelled at him.

"Okay fine! One... two..."

**"Three!"** Princess Bubblegum and Jake cried at the same time, jumping into the hole that Jake had just created with the strength of his stretched fist.

"Good luck kids!" The old lady shouted.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Yaaahh! Take this!" Finn yelled as he kicked a flame guard on his belly.

Five more attacked him at the same time, but the human boy managed to avoid them with a quick jump. He landed on top of one of the flame guard's head, causing the fiery being to fall unconscious on the floor.

"Auch! Ow, ow! My feet!" Finn screamed, jumping in one foot and the other, as he tried to soothe the pain on his now burning feet. The flame shield's effect was about to wear off from the brave gang.

The four remaining guards began to laugh at the "dancing" boy, something that Finn decided to take as advantage to slash them with his sword, turning them into ashes.

"That's what you get for laughing at a hero!" the human panted defiantly.

"Hey Finn, watch out!" Flambo warned as he threw a fireball at one flame guard that was about to attack Finn from behind. The fireball hit the guard on its chest, launching him against a wall.

"Thanks Flambo! You saved my life!"

"Hehe... I'm going to need more cookies after this!" the flambit chuckled in delight.

"Hey guys! What was that sound?" Lumpy Space Princess asked, gazing the palace's ceiling full of worry.

"Jake must have broken the tower's wall already!" Finn said. "Let's get the math out of here!"

Just as they had planned it, once the flame guards heard that the tower where the Flame King resided was being attacked, they immediately directed their attention towards it, and began to rush upstairs, ready to defend their king's honor.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Having burst into the tower, Princess Bubblegum and Jake lost no time in running across the halls, trying desperately to find the cell where the old hero Billy was being held prisoner.

"I think the old lady said that we had to turn to the right in this hallway!" Bubblegum said, racing behind Jake.

"To the right? Wasn't it to the left?" the golden bulldog inquired doubtfully.

"You ought to be kidding me!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed in desperation.

"Billy the Hero! Where are you?!" Jake shouted. "We've come here to save you!"

Total silence fell upon them; there was no response from the old giant.

"Do you really believed that would work?!" Bonnibel questioned in exasperation, running behind Jake as fast as she could. "_Thank Glob I got a chance to change my clothes before we left the Candy Kingdom, I can't imagine myself doing this in a dress!_" the princess thought to herself.

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?!" Jake replied with angst, feeling that the heat of the Fire Kingdom was starting to burn his golden fur.

"... I'm over here! Please hurry up! My back is killing me!" a muffled response came from out of nowhere.

"Huh? D-did you hear that?" Jake asked as he turned around to face the pink princess, hope glittering in his big round eyes.

**"It's Billy!"** the two rescuers finally realized. They followed the voice until they reached an occupied cage. Inside of it, with his hands and feet chained onto the ground, lay an old, tall man with greenish skin and a long white beard.

"Oh Billy! Thank Glob we managed to find you!" Jake cried in relief, holding the cage bars tightly.

"I remember you! You are that kid's magical dog!" Billy said.

"He remembers me!" Jake yelled in a fan girl manner. "Oh my Glob... I think I'm gonna pass out!"

"There's no time for that!" Princess Bubblegum asserted, unlocking the cage and then proceeding to free Billy from his chains.

"And who might this young lady be? I thought that you only traveled with that petty, annoying kid." The legendary hero asked in curiosity as he stared at Bubblegum.

"I'm Princess Bubblegum, ruler of the Candy Kingdom." She answered. "It is a great honor to finally meet such a great hero as you in person."

"Mmmm? Well... It's always an honor to meet a princess!" the green giant said once his hands and feet were freed from their chains. "_Princesses saving heroes? This world has certainly changed a lot since I last left in my cave!_"

"We better hurry; we are running out of time here!" Bubblegum stressed anxiously. The heat was starting to affect her as well.

"Come with us Billy, the flame guards could reach us in any minute now!" Jake warned.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Hey Lady! Can you see them?" Finn asked from the ground.

"아니, 난 못해!"

"I believe that's a no!" The old lady, who was sitting on Lady Rainicorn's back replied.

"Glob, where are they? We're running out of time!" the Lumpy Space Princess complained nervously.

"Stay calm! I know they can do it!" Finn claimed. "_Princess, Jake... where are you_?"

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Huff...huff... Look, that's the hole! We did it!" Jake shouted, feeling happier than ever.

"I can't believe it!" Princess Bubblegum said enthusiastically. Perhaps they were really going to make it, perhaps the nightmare would be finally over, perhaps they would return home soon, to live in peace and harmony once again. They were about to jump through the hole, when suddenly...

"Where do you think you are going, pathetic little rats?" a giant fire ball exploded before the small gang, acquiring the form of a copper titan as soon as the pieces of its armor came together in one place.

"Aaaaah! The Flame King!" Jake screamed in fear, his legs stopping immediately with just the simple sound of the flaring monarch's roaring voice.

"Flame King, please! We don't want to hurt you! We need Billy to save your kingdom and the whole land of Ooo. Perhaps the entire world even!" Princess Bubblegum tried to discourse, but her pleading fell upon deaf ears.

**"I - Don't - Care!"** roared the Flame King, firing a powerful fire blast at them.

"Shoot!" Jake cried as he covered his eyes, all hope leaving his body.

"That's it!" Bonnibel Bubblegum screamed, clenching her fists in resignation. She turned her face away. "We're through..."

"_NOTHUNG!_" a strong voice cried in the distance. Then, everything faded into darkness...


	7. Apple Wonderland!

_Tale 7:_ Apple Wonderland!

The powerful fire blast raged across the hallway, heating up the already burning skins of the barely protected heroes in the making. The magical dog couldn't stand the fear; he closed his eyes and jammed his head inside his body like an ostrich on a hole. The blazing heat faded as fast as it appeared, then, only silence followed until…

"Are we dead yet?" Jake asked, opening his eyes.

"No, not yet!" Princess Bubblegum said, a grin plastered on her pink face.

"But I thought that... Oh my Glob! Billy saved us!" Jake noticed, gazing at ever so awesome figure of the old legendary hero. Billy stood forward, his shiny weapon exhaling smoke from the fiery monarch's recent attack. The scene was clear, Flame King's Fire blast had been deflected by Billy's trusted sword: Nothung.

"Just try repeat an attack like that one again, and I swear I'll turn you into ashes, Flame King!" Billy warned severely, pointing his sword towards the angry king. "Let us leave in peace!"

"All I wanted was... to know where my daughter is..." The Flame King whispered, dropping his offensive stance. It had been too much for him in just one day, and Flame Princess was still missing. There was no point in continuing with that useless battle. "You're free to leave..."

"Thank you, Flame King. I promise we'll look for Flame Princess…" Bubblegum assured her fellow royal equal as she walked away by his side.

"…" The Flame King didn't respond.

"Lady Rainicorn, look! There they are!" The old lady shouted, tapping Lady Rainicorn's back joyfully. She immediately flew towards the tower's broken wall, trying to get as close as possible to the hole that Jake had created.

"Baby! We did it! The Flame King let us go!" Jake cried, hugging Lady Rainicorn's head before planting a sweet kiss on her forehead. "I thought I would never see you again."

"Look! Lady's coming down!" Finn yelled happily, jumping and pointing at them. "And everyone is coming with her! Billy too!"

"Yay!" Lumpy Space Princess and Flambo cheered as they danced around together.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"I'll tell you, I'm not impressed with your videogame skills. I hope you're serious this time, because I love music more than playing pranks on mortals... and that's saying a lot." Marceline said while following the Ice King across his crystal castle.

"I tell you! I'm a great musician!" the Ice King replied, turning his head to stare at her impatiently.

"You told her you were a good videogame player too." Flame Princess giggled.

"What instrument did you say you could play again?" Marceline asked curiously.

"Hehe... I'm going to impress you this time vampire, because I play... the fabulous DRUMS! Hehehehe!" the old blue man yelled pointing his drum set.

"'#1 Babe?'" Marceline read the logo on his green drum set with a serious look on her face, and then she crossed her arms while looked at the Ice King with a challenging stare. "Show me what you can do! If I don't find your performance is good enough... I'll kill you!"

"What?!" the poor ice wizard exclaimed in terror.

Flame Princess glanced at Marceline with a concerned look on her eyes; the vampire noticed this and quickly winked at her. Flame Princess, understanding the message, turned to look at the Ice King with an evil but naughty smile.

"_I knew these girls were freaks!_" the Ice King thought, once again cleaning the sweat from his forehead. "I'll show you what I; the great Ice King can do!" He exclaimed at them, trying its best not to show them all her bravado was a fake.

"We're waiting..." Marceline replied raising an eyebrow.

The Ice King took a deep breath before he took a seat and started playing; hitting every drum as fast and hard as he could, but trying not to lose the rhythm he had created, while staring at the serious girls every now and then, concerned for his own life's sake. When the blue wizard finally finished, he dropped on the floor exhausted, he had just played the best drum solo he had ever played in his entire life.

"Huff... huff... W-what do you think girls... did you like that?" he said between breaths, smiling and sweating nervously.

"Mmmm... I... I didn't like it all all! IT WAS TERRIBLE!" Marceline screamed, making the scariest face gesture she knew.

"WHAAAA?!" The Ice King cried, almost passing out. His penguins quickly ran behind him to push his back and try to keep him on his feet.

Marceline stared at him for a while and one minute later she burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha! You should've seen your face!" She said, holding her stomach with her hand and falling onto the floor. "Hahahaha! Glob! I even have tears in my eyes!"

Flame princess started laughing in an overly exaggerated way just as Marceline, she laughed so hard that her body's flames started growing and melting the walls of the Ice Castle.

"What the-?" the Ice King asked, not believing what his eyes were seeing. "They're... laughing?"

"Hahaha... I'm so sorry... hahaha! I can't even... hahaha! ...talk, hahaha!" Marceline tried to reply to no use, after a few seconds she finally managed to regain control of herself and said "No... Seriously man, let me tell you something I don't usually say to people, think of it as a gift for making me laugh so hard!"

"You are not going to... you know... kill me?" the Ice King asked, pointing his face nervously.

"Why would I kill the best drummer I've met in 500 years?" She answered leaning on the frosty walls of the Ice Castle with her arms folded.

"Whaaaat?" the old man exclaimed in astonishment, her words were really hard to believe.

"You heard me. You suck at videogames, but you play those drums like a boss, man!" the vampire chuckled, enjoying his confused face.

"Do you mean it?" the Ice King asked, bug-eyed and still not believing what he had just heard.

"Yeah…... you seem to be a nice guy after all." Marceline replied scratching her face. "If you want to, you can come to my place and enjoy a little jam session with my friends... someday." she continued, not really looking at him or anywhere in particular "I play the bass by the way, and I sing too so... yeah, maybe we could form a really cool band."

"Friends? Really?! Oh thanks! Hehehe..." the Ice King cried, cheerfully jumping like a child around the place. "I'm so happy! Did you hear that, Gunter? I'm gonna get some new friends! Hehehe!"

"Okaaay... I assume you don't go out much, do you?" the vampire said, staring at him in confusion.

"Hihi! He's pretty funny too!" Flame Princess laughed while watching the scene, her eyes suddenly landing on the window. "Oh! Marceline!" she gasped staring at the sky.

"Huh?"

"We should go, dawn will come pretty son." the fiery girl suggested, showing her the dim sun rays that were rising in the horizon.

"Yikes! You're right!" Marceline replied, unfolding her arms and walked towards the window "It's been a lot of fun and all, but we have to go..." she announced, glancing at the Ice King, who was still dancing with his penguins.

"What? But I was just starting to like you! You can't just go and leave me all alone again, this is the first time I feel so happy about people intruding in my castle!" the Ice King started whining.

"Look! We're in a hurry so-"

"Marceline!" Flame Princess interrupted. "Look at him, he's crying..."

"And what do you expect me to do about it?" the Vampire Queen replied in annoyance.

"We could let him come with us!" the fire princess said. flying next to the white bearded man "He seems powerful enough to defend himself."

"Yeah, I can go with you girls! Gunter too! Hehehe!" he exclaimed, randomly grabbing one of his penguins.

"_This guy's really crazy..._" Marceline thought to herself, and then sighed in defeat "Okay, he can come with us..."

"Yipee!" the Ice King yelled circling Flame Princess joyfully "And where are we going?"

"Ooo is in danger; a creepy guy known as The Lich is attempting to kill us all. That's the reason everything is a mess." Marceline answered with a serious tone. "I'm going home to grab some stuff I need, then we'll look for my friends so we can destroy that thing."

"Did you say the Lich?" the old wizard gasped as some flashbacks of Princess Bubblegum's incident popped inside his mind "Wait, I've fought with that creep before!"

"Really? Then you'll be useful!" the Vampire Queen replied, walking towards the window and jumped on the edge "Let's go!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

The snake-like figure of a flying rainicorn was leaving the newly-scorched skies of the place that once used to be a kingdom of ice and snow, now covered by the blazing valleys of the imposing Fire Kingdom. The old legendary hero was save now, and gang had yet to decide on what to do now.

"What should we do now?" Jake asked while holding on Lady Rainicorn's mane.

"I think it would be good for us to go back to the Candy Kingdom and take a break." Princess Bubblegum suggested, rubbing her pink chin.

"If the Candy Kingdom's still a safe place that is..." LSP replied, snatching Finn's bag from his back, searching for something to eat.

"LSP! How can you say such things?" the human boy shouted, not even noticing her backpack was gone, staring at Bubblegum with concern.

"What? I'm just being realistic!" the purple cloud replied, tossing his green bag back at him.

"She's right, it's just that... I'm really worried about my people..." the pink haired girl sighed, slowly lowering her gaze.

"It doesn't matter." Jake said, turning his head to face them "There's only one way to know what's going on in the Candy Kingdom, and that's going there! I say we should go check it out, and if something happens we'll just take care of it, right buddy?" the yellow dog smiled while elbowing his brother.

"Sure!" Finn replied happily "You always know what to say, bro."

**x+x+x+x+x**

"C'mon! Hurry up guys! We're almost there!" Marceline yelled, urging her companions to go speed up.

"I'm flying as fast as I can!" the Ice King replied impatiently "Gunter's really heavy, you know?"

"Wenk!" the penguin complained.

"Marceline, are you alright?" Flame Princess asked, flying closer to the Vampire Queen "You look tired, and your wounds..."

"It's nothing." Marceline replied, smiling back at the young girl "It's just that I haven't slept or eaten anything since I left my home. I might be running out of energy..."

"I see... we better hurry then." the flaming princess replied, still concerned about her friend's health.

"Yeah... Let's go!" the vampire exclaimed eagerly "You know, I think you shou- gaaaah!" Marceline was about to say something, but her body was suddenly hit by an unknown force, making her fall and crash against the ground, burying her head in the snow.

"What the?" Flame Princess shouted in confusion, that until she caught glimpse of her friend's attacker. "Hey! Why did you do that?"

She was now facing a giant blue monster that had just one eye. His blue sturdy body was covered with snow and some trees grew on his shoulders, however, there was something even weirder about his look. He seemed furious, his eye was red and hollow, and his mouth was full of sharp teeth dropping saliva.

"That's odd..." the Ice King said, arriving to the scene "Iceclops are usually friendly!"

"Yeah? Well this one's obviously not!" Flame Princess replied, turning on her flames. "I'm going to beat up this guy!"

"No! Wait!" the blue wizard ordered blocking her way. "I can see something strange on him!"

"What are you taking about?" the fiery girl asked trying to control her flames.

"I can notice see all kind of weird things with my Wizard Eyes!" the Ice King answered, waving one arm while holding his penguin with the other "I think that Lich guy may have possessed him somehow!"

"Are you saying that I shouldn't kill it?" the young princess replied in annoyance.

"But of course not!" he yelled frowning at her "Glob, you should try to relax a bit!" the Ice King complained "There gotta be a way to stop him without killing him." he continued, but before he could form another sentence the blue beast attacked them from behind "Whoa! Watch out!"

The Iceclops tried to crush them with his fist, but they had managed to dodge it, then he grabbed and lifted a giant rock, crushed it with his hand and started shooting small rocks towards them.

"Blast!" Flame Princess exclaimed angrily and released a wave of flames that surrounded her body, melting the rocks that could hit her. The Ice King on the other hand couldn't think of anything but flying away, tightly embracing his penguin on his hands.

"Aaaah! Gunter, we are going to die! We are going to die! We are going to-" A rock hit him straight on his head before he could finish the sentence though, dropping his crown off his head and instantly lose all his powers.

"Gunter, I think it's time for you to learn how to fly!" the icy wizard yelled as he was falling down at high speed. "C'mon Gunter, you gotta save us, fly!" he kept insisting until he let Gunter go.

"WENK?!" Gunter shouted, because of course, he couldn't fly, and now the two of them were falling to their doom.

Flame Princess quickly noticed this, but there wasn't anything she could do.

"Shoot! If I try to save them I'll just hurt them!" she groaned, closing her eyes in desperation. Being a fire elemental was slowly starting to turn into curse for her. "No! I can't stay like this! I've got to do something!"

She flew towards them, driven by the exothermic reaction of her fiery body, and managing to catch Gunter, who immediately started crying out in pain because of the princess' fire burning his feathers.

"I'm sorry, but this is better than dying!" Flame Princess sincerely apologized, flying towards a nearby hill and dropping him there.

Gunter fell in the snow and quickly started rolling on it, trying to cool his toasted butt "Wenk..." the penguin said in relief when he felt the snow melting under his body and soothing his pain.

Flame Princess smiled, knowing that the penguin was going to be all right, then she started to fly back in order to save the Ice King, she gasped in terror at the scene before her eyes though, the old man was being squeezed by the Iceclops, which was holding him with both hands.

"Someone save me!" The Ice King screamed desperately. "Please, save me!"

"Darn it!" the young princess cursed under her breath "Hold on, I'm coming!" she shouted, determined to rescue the old wizard from the monster's grasp, and began flying as fast as her now-tired body allowed her to "_Shoot, I must be running out of energy too!_" her own voice complained inside her mind.

As she got closer to the giant monster, she decided that the best she could do was to charge against his arms and melt them with her heat, that way the Ice King would be freed and she'll just have to catch him in mid-air. But just when she was about to increase her speed, the Iceclops noticed her and hit her with all his might using one of his arms.

"GAAAAHH!" the fiery princess screamed in pain, as she crashed against an ice mountain, she fell and the snow covered her body, the snow around her melting into water, weakening her flames. "I'm dead..." she whispered to herself, feeling how the melted water started to extinguish her.

"Oh no!" the Ice King cried, hopelessly watching the scene in front of him "We're doomed! I shouldn't have left my castle! Why am I so dumb?" the Iceclops then started clenching his fists "Yeaaaargh! Please stop squeezing my body... c-can't breathe!"

But just when he was about to give up all hope, Marceline jumped into the action and cut through the iceclop's arm with her sharp claws as easily as cutting butter with a knife. The monster cried in pain as his arm fell; releasing the Ice King, the vampire quickly flew towards him and caught him in the air.

"Vampire girl, it's you!" the Ice King said happily. "What took you so long, huh?"

"Shut up!" She ordered releasing, him over the same hill where Gunter was.

"Wait no, that's too high! Aaaah!" the wizard screamed as he fell, finally landed on top of Gunter.

"Wenk!" the poor penguin moaned, feeling the old man's crushing over his small body.

"Damn! Where is she?" Marceline groaned, desperately looking for Flame Princess. Then, by something that could just be described as a miracle, she noticed a cloud of steam coming out from one of the mountain's base. "That's gotta be her!" the Vampire Queen gasped, quickly flying towards the source.

Marceline landed over the snow and started digging frantically "C'mon kid, don't do this to me!" she pleaded, after a few minutes of fruitless digging her eyes caught on a red fabric buried on the snow "There you are!" she exclaimed, recognizing it as a part of her dress, swiftly digging in order to get her out.

"Ma-Marceline?" FP said weakly. Her body looked grayish and dull, her hair was down to her shoulders, and her flames were barely giving away any heat.

"Don't worry, you're safe now." Marceline said, holding her on her back and quickly flying towards the hill where the Ice King and Gunter lay on. "Here" Marceline said to him when she arrived. "Don't worry, she's pretty weak, her flames can't harm you now."

"O-okay..." The Ice King said holding FP "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go knock that monster down!" Marceline said with a growl.

Meanwhile, the Iceclops had gathered a bunch of snow and ice, and put it together in the place where his arm was supposed to be, making a new one. Then he stood up and roared with all his, charging against her attackers.

"There he comes!" Marceline groaned, holding off her right arm.

"I think you really pissed him off this time!" the Ice King said. "Hey, are you okay?"

"My arm is frozen!" Marceline said, angrily exposing her fangs. "That thing must have done it when it hit me down!"

"Oh crab!" the Ice King replied.

"Take care of her! I'm going to finish this once and for all!" and she took off from the ground, charging against the Iceclops just as he did.

Marceline flew faster than she has ever flown before, hoping that the speed would help her knock the monster down, which was also coming towards her at great speed.

Noticing that both of them would clash against the other, the Ice King put his hands over his face and closed his eyes. "I can't watch this!"

Marceline lifted her frozen arm and closed her fist. "Get ready! You one-eyed jerk!"

The Iceclops let out a roar, followed by Marceline's own roar, they were just about to clash into each other, but just before they did so, she managed to dodge the monster's fists and hit him in its head using her frozen fist with a huge amount of strength, making the Iceclops fly several meters away, before crashing against the ice mountain, unconscious.

"Yahoo! She did it! She did it!" The Ice King said, jumping happily.

"Wenk! Wenk! Wenk!" Gunter said, moving his wings around.

"Yes..." Marceline said as she fell and landed in the snow, rolling their way, complete exhaustion forbidding her of being able to stop herself from falling and any kind of movement.

"Hehehe! That was awesome!" the Ice King said, carrying down Flame Princess with, Gunter following closely behind him. "Hey, you must be real brave in order to do something like that! I wouldn't even dare to risk my life in such a reckless and stupid way!"

"Huff... huff... thanks?" Marceline said, lying in the snow, her long black hair moving slowly with the cold breeze.

"Hey, what are you doing? C'mon, stand up! Didn't you say that you had to get to your house before dawn?" the Ice King said in an exasperated tone.

"Hehe... you know? I'm so tired that... I can't even move a muscle..." Marceline said smiling. "You'll just have to carry me there... hehe!"

"Whaaaat?!" he yelled, not believing what he had just heard.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Finally..." Princess Bubblegum whispered. "Everybody wake up! We're close to the Candy Kingdom!"

"Huh?" Finn said, scratching his eyes.

"Yaaaawn... five more minutes..." Jake said before going back to sleep.

"No, no... Brad... please, don't eat those... I like the blue ones..." LSP said, still fast sleep.

"Hohoho! I can't believe I'm finally going to visit the Candy Kingdom!" The old lady said, happily looking towards the old hero. He simply smiled.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Huff... huff... I can't believe that I; the Ice King; have to carry these three on foot!" he complained, carrying Flame Princess (who was still unconscious) on his arms, the Vampire Queen (who was taking a nap on his shoulder) on his back and Gunter (who was happily whistling, or at least trying to) on his head.

He walked non-stop for hours, until he noticed a bunch of trees. "Hmmm... I don't remember this forest being in my kingdom." he said.

"Hey... hey you... vampire... wake up!" The Ice King said, moving his shoulder abruptly.

"Huh?" Marceline said still sleepy. "Where are we?"

"Isn't that your house?" the Ice King asked, a little surprised by Marceline's response.

"No, c'mon... I told you it was inside of a cave!" She replied looking around. "Oh look, apple trees!" she said, happily jumping off the Ice King's back and running towards the tress.

"It seems you're feeling better already..." He said looking at her, slightly annoyed.

"Not quite, but I'm so hungry!" she said floating up and grabbing one red, shiny apple.

"Hungry? But I thought vampires drank blood and stuff, not apples!" the Ice King replied.

"I like to drink blood... sometimes... but what I really love is eating shades of red!" Marceline said, biting the apple and quickly sucking away the color, leaving it plain gray.

"You mean that you like eating red things and stuff?" the Ice King said, completely confused. "What kind of vampire are you?"

"The best one there is..." she said proudly by taking another apple.

"Who's there?" A strange voice said coming from behind.

"Nobody!" Marceline simply said while eating her fourth apple.

Suddenly a pig with a green sweater came out of a bush and looked at the white apples around Marceline's feet.

"B-but what have you done to our apples?" the pig said. "First an earthquake comes, then our house was mysteriously thrown away into this cold land, and now some strange folks paint our apples!"

"You're wrong, I didn't paint them!" the Ice King said. "She sucked the color out of them!" he finished by pointing Marceline, her only response being a silly smile.

"I'm sorry Mr. Pig or, whatever you're called..." she replied "But we were just tired and hungry. Besides, there's nothing is wrong with your apples, I just took their color away, you can still eat them if you want... hehe!"

"What?" the pig said, not really understanding what she just said.

"Darling! Who's there? Did someone come to visit?" a small green elephant, wearing a red sweater said, walking outside the house.

"Oh! I like your sweater!" Marceline said. "May I try it?"

"Oh! Heehee! Thank you very much!" the elephant said blushing.

"I don't know if they are visitors or thieves." the pig said. "But they are doing something strange to our apples!"

"What? I'm not a thief!" Marceline said. "I'm just hungry!"

"Oh, the poor things!" the elephant said. "They're just travelers, they must be really tired... look, one of them is ill!" she said while looking at Flame Princess. "Please come in!"

"Thanks! I was freezing out here!" Marceline happily replied.

Once inside the house, they carefully laid Flame Princess on the couch and covered her with a blanket.

"My name is Tree Trunks and this is my new husband Mr. Pig." the elephant said. "Please make yourselves at home!"

"Hehehe! Thanks!" the Ice King said while drinking off a hot chocolate mug.

"Thanks, we really appreciate the help!" Marceline said while eating more apples... or at least their color.

"Please, it's nothing! That thing you do with my apples is really cute! Hehe... 'Come and try Tree Trunk's gray apple pies!' Everyone is gonna want a piece of it!" Tree Trunks happily said. "Do you mind telling me your names?"

"Oh, right!" Marceline said. "I'm Marceline, the Vampire Queen! That old dude over there is the Ice King. And that girl on the couch is my friend, Flame Princess."

"Wenk!"

"Oh! And that's Gunter!" she finished.

"Glob!" Mr. Pig said. "I didn't imagine that you were such a group of important people, folks!"

"So she's the famous Flame Princess! What happened to her?" Tree Trunks asked, she was truly concerned about her.

"An Iceclops attacked us and she almost gets extinguished by melted snow..." Marceline answered.

"Oh fear! Is there something we can do for her?" Mr. Pig said.

"Actually... I was hoping you could start a fire or something..." Marceline said.

"Of course my dear!" Tree Trunks said.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Meanwhile, after a long journey on Lady Rainicorn's back, Finn and the rest made it to the Candy Kingdom just before sunrise.

"Well... the Candy Kingdom seems fine to me... but The Candy Castle..." Jake said a little bit worried.

"The Candy Castle is... THE CANDY CASTLE IS UPSIDE DOWN!" Princess Bubblegum screamed just before she passed out.


	8. To Awake a Hero's Heart!

_Tale 8:_ To Awake a Hero's Heart!

"Princess! Princess... are you ok?" Finn said, desperately trying to wake her up. "PB, are you alright?"

"Ugh... my head... What happened?" she asked while feeling a bump on her head. "Auch!"

"Well, after you saw how messed up your house was, you passed out..." LSP answered.

"Yeah, and then you fell from Lady's back!" Jake said.

"It was really hard to catch you before you hit the ground! We had to make a body chain so we could pull you up…" LSP continued. "But this moron..." she said while pointing at Jake.

"Hey!" He replied.

"... smashed your big head against a wall..." she finished, crossing her arms.

"That explains the bump in my head, ow..." PB whined, her head throbbing with pain "I'm gonna need some ice..."

"Right away princess!" Jake said to Princess Bubblegum, "Hey bartender! Would you be so kind to bring some ice for the lady?" Jake ordered. "Do you want something to drink?" He asked, once again looking at the princess.

"Where... where are we?" she asked.

"I'm not sure... some seedy place this doggy knows..." LSP answered.

"What?" Princess Bubblegum looked around. The whole gang, including Billy and the old lady, were sitting around her on a table; some of them, like Jake and LSP, were already having a drink of only Glob knows what. The place was a complete mess; people around chatting loudly, a few drunken ones singing. There was trash on the floor and every object on place was dirty and showing clear signs of misuse. The candy people here had a strange appearance she was not used to see around the castle.

"Ugh, this seems like the kind of place only someone like Marceline would frequent." PB said, disgusted by the sight of this rotten place.

"What?" Jake smiled. "The Candy Tavern? Nah!"

"Dude, I told you it wasn't a good idea to bring PB in here." Finn whispered into Jake's ear.

"Here's the ice!" the bartender said. PB took it and put it on her head to ease the pain.

"So, now that everyone's settled..." Billy started "Can you tell me how you knew I was trapped in there?"

"We didn't." Finn answered. "We were just looking for you because we need your help. We were gonna go visit your cave, but then-"

"But then that creep turned Ooo into a mess!" LSP suddenly interrupted. "And we had to use this dog's nose to find you..."

"And my nose took us into the Fire Kingdom!" he finished.

"Wait a second!" PB said. "How did you get caught by The Flame King?"

"Well... I'm still not sure... I was sitting on my rock as I always do, when all of a sudden..." the hero began, reminiscing about the events that had transpired the last day.

"... when all of a sudden the earth began to shake, and we flew all the way to the Fire Kingdom, where those hot guys captured us, and threw us into a cage!" the old lady continued. "I still don't know why they were so rude with us."

"Just like it happened to me! Hehe!" Flambo said happily.

"That must've been because I slayed The Fire Count many years ago, I can't believe they've hold such a grudge with me for that long." Billy answered. "Now tell me, young heroes... why is that you need me so badly?"

"THE LICH, Billy! The Lich has returned!" Jake started to shout. "He's somewhere around doing Glob knows what to kill us all!"

"He's the one responsible for all this chaos. And we thought that, since you've beaten him before, you could help us." Princess Bubblegum ended.

"How could he have returned? I was certain that it was impossible for him to escape from the amber prison within the Candy Castle's tree..." Billy asked.

"Well... that's a long story." Finn said. "But when he escaped, we fought him and we defeated him! Or at least we thought we did... I don't know how he survived..."

"It's not that easy to defeat the Lich, You can't just fight him and try to kill him; he's an undead creature!" Billy said. "That's why I decided to imprison him for all eternity! It was the only way to stop him! But now..."

"He's got enough time to regain his strength; he's probably stronger than he ever was..." Princess Bubblegum said in a very severe tone.

"I can't believe it!" Finn shouted. "Does this mean there's nothing we can do? No! I refuse to believe that!"

"Ummm... maybe there's something we can do..." Billy said.

"R-really?" Everyone asked, opening their eyes in an overly exaggerated way.

"Princess Bubblegum, is my cosmic gauntlet still on possession by your family?"

"Well...you see..." she began to explain, but Finn beat her to it.

"The Lich destroyed it... I thought it was the only weapon that could harm him... but I couldn't even touch him!" Finn said.

"The gauntlet, destroyed?" Billy said. "Well, that's a shame... I was hoping I could use it again to fight by your side."

"What do you mean?" Finn asked, really curious about the hero's words. "The Lich is way much stronger now, even if you fight him with it again, it wouldn't be enough..."

"You're right, but the gauntlet alone isn't the answer..." Billy replied.

"What are you saying?" PB wasn't able to understand what he meant.

"The gauntlet itself was only a part of what there really is; it is powerful on its own, but nothing compared to what it really is... the gauntlet was one of the legendary Cosmic Weapons!" Billy said, a soft smile crossing his face.

"Wait, you mean there are more weapons out there that could harm The Lich?!" Jake said excited.

"Legend says that, by combining the power of the Cosmic Weapons, a group of the bravest heroes in all of Ooo would be able to vanquish all evil from the planet." Billy said. "This is an ancient tale that I heard once from an old fortune-teller, when I was just a boy."

"The first time I fought The Lich, I failed; and then I remembered that legend, and went on a journey to find one of them. I knew that I was the only hero in Ooo back then, therefore, it was impossible for me to destroy him for good, but I hoped that, with the help of one those weapons, I would be able to weaken him enough to seal him away."

"So that's how you did it!" Jake said.

"Yeah... but that funny gauntlet of yours didn't help the last time... did it?" LSP replied.

"That may have happened because, even though you label yourself as such, you're not a true hero yet..." Billy said. looking at Finn. "Only true heroes can fully use the cosmic weapons!"

"WHAT?!" Finn reacted. "B-but... I am a hero!"

"You don't become a hero just by wanting to be one." Billy said. "You must endure many hardships and prove yourself of being worthy of such title by defeating your own weaknesses. Only then, you'll become a true hero."

"..." Finn had nothing to say, he was completely lost in thought after hearing those words.

"But listen to me, all of you!" Billy began. "I've seen you in action; you and your friends HAVE the potential to become true heroes!"

"What?!" everyone in the table asked, surprised by the old hero's words.

"I'm sure that, if you work together, and search for the other cosmic weapons, you'll prove yourselves to be worthy of being true heroes, and by doing that, you'll be strong enough to defeat The Lich!" the old finally said, his words full of confidence.

"Excuse me a sec, Billy, but..." Jake said. "...do you happen to know where those weapons are?"

"But of course... I don't!" Billy said.

"What?" LSP started floating around. "And how do you expect us to find them?"

"That's your problem!" Billy smiled. "I'll go look for my gauntlet's broken pieces and see if I can restore it. Meanwhile, you'll go search for the others!"

"Oh great!" LSP shouted "Just as I expected! This old guy is crazy!"

"LSP!" Princess Bubblegum said. "There's no time to waste, I'll start investigating about those weapons, but I need to get to my lab first!"

"And how are you going to get there?" Jake said. "The castle is... you know... backwards! Hehe..."

"I don't see what's so funny!" PB replied.

"It's just that... if you think about it... that must've been some kind of revenge for locking him up in that tree for all those years! Hehe..." Jake answered. "Now, seriously... The Lich must really hate that place!"

"Jake!" Finn said angrily. "That's not funny!"

"Whatever!" Bubblegum said interrupting them. "It shouldn't be difficult for you guys to help me our way to the lab, so let's get moving!"

"Aw... do we have to leave so soon?" Jake said. "I was just starting to relax... let's stay here ten more minutes... C'mon! Let's have something drink! My treat!"

"Jake! We don't have time for this! We need to-" PB started to say, until her eyes lay upon one of the drinks Jake and LSP have been drinking. They were a pair of milk shakes, the seemed so cold... sweet... refreshing... "... Okay... I guess I could have one of those..."PB replied.

"That's the way I like it!" Jake said "Bartender! More sugar shakes!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Huh? Where... am I?" Flame Princess had just woken up inside of an empty bathtub, obviously confused of where she was in the first place.

"Hey! Finally! You're awake!" Marceline said entering the room.

"Marceline! What's going on? What happened with the monster?" FP asked, still confused.

"Don't worry, I took care of it!" she replied grinning. "Anyway, you were unconscious and I was sleeping, so we got lost thanks to the old guy, and we ended up with these nice people that took care of you."

"Really? Then why did you put me inside of this?" FP asked.

"Because when your flames started to return, you would've burned out the whole place, hehe! But you can go outside if you want to! It's a nice sunny day, so go out and enjoy it while I'm stuck inside this little house!" the vampire said.

Flame Princess took a moment to look around the place, but soon enough, her eyes landed once again on her vampire friend, there was something different on her...

"Hey, your wounds! They're gone!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, since I got to rest and eat a bunch of red, I regained my energy so could heal myself!" Marceline replied. "Look, even the ones you gave me are gone!"

"That's incredible..." FP said blinking a couple of times. "By the way... I've been curious... you were going to tell me something before getting hit by the Iceclops. What was it?"

"Before I got hit?" Marceline mumbled, sitting in the air and placing her hand on her chin, trying to remember what she meant to ask. "Oh yes! I was going to ask you if you had a name!"

"A name?" the Princess replied, obviously confused. "What do you mean? I'm Flame Princess!"

"I know! It's just that I hate calling you princess all the time... I feel like I'm talking to Bonnie. That's why I wanted to know if you had a name besides your title. _Does every princess in Ooo has to be called by her title? How original!_"

"Well I... I don't I think I... well, I don't know!" Flame Princess said, slightly annoyed for not knowing her own name.

"Calm down! You're going to burn down the ceiling! If you don't have one, then I'll make up one for you!"

"What?"

"Now... let me see... It has to be something that suits your personality... something hot! Hehe, get it?"

"Marceline... you don't really have to..." FP said.

"No way! I'm not calling you 'princess' again!" she replied. "Hmmm... I think I have something good... Ember? No, that's too obvious... Sparky? No... you're not a dog... Solana? Ugh... No way, I really don't need the reminder every time I talk to you... Hmmm... I've got it!" Marceline said while snapping her fingers.

"Huh?" Flame Princess looked confused.

"I...! Nah, forget about it... I'll just call you Flame P."

"Huh?" Flame Princess said, still really confused. "You're really weird..."

"I'm not weird! I'm cool!" Marceline replied.

"And I'm hot!" Flame P joked.

"Pffft, Flame P! That was terrible!" Marceline said, faking a serious expression.

"What? It's true!"

"Yeah? In what way exactly?" Marceline asked sarcastically.

"Both!" FP said crossing her arms, a confident smile on her face.

"I think all that you were buried in sown affected your head." Marceline said jokingly.

"I think that being around YOU affects people's heads, just look at the old guy!" Flame P countered.

"That guy was already crazy before we met him and you know it!" Marceline said pointing at her.

"How can you tell?" FP replied.

"Are you trying my patience? Just get out of here!" Marceline said while literally pushing her outside the house. "_Glob, this kid's going to give me a headache..._"

**x+x+x+x+x**

_Outside Tree Trunk's house..._

"Look Gunter! I made a snow replica of you, hehe!" the Ice King said, clapping his hands. "Do you like it?"

Gunter walked around the figure and stared at it for a while "Wenk!" he yelled, and then jumped on it and kicked its face off.

"What have you done?! Do you know how much time I spent working on that, you little-!"

"Wenk!"

"Gunter, watch your mouth! Where did you learn to talk like that?"

"Wenk!"

"What? I don't use that kind of vocabulary!"

"Wenk!"

"No I wasn't about to-!" he put a hand on his forehead. "Look, just get out of my sight before I give you what you deserve! Bad penguin! Bad penguin!"

"Hi old guy!" FP suddenly said.

"Listen fire girl! I'm not an old man!" the Ice King replied, she simply responded by laughing.

"Oh, I see you're awake!" Tree Trunks said, holding an apple basket with her trunk. "Are you feeling better?"

"Huh, who are you?" Flame Princess asked.

"I'm Tree Trunks, and I love apples!" she answered. "Are you hungry? I have a magnificent apple pie in the oven!"

"Well I..." she was about to accept her offer, but her stomach beat her to it, and started making sounds "I'm starving!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

The dusk was starting to fall by the time the gang finally decided to leave the Candy Tavern and said their goodbye to both Billy and the old lady.

"I didn't know there was such a place in the Candy Kingdom. As soon all this whole Lich situation is over, I'm going to take care of it!"

"What?! C'mon Princess!" Jake said annoyed. "That's my favorite place to hang out!"

"And it's also the thieves' favorite place to hang out! I won't accept that!" she replied.

"Aww, man..." Jake said while lowering his head.

"I'm sorry bro..." Finn said, slightly patting Jake's back.

They continued their walk in silence until they arrived to the castle. Peppermint Butler came out running as soon as they got close to it, and started telling them about the whole disaster. He mentioned that the Lich wasn't there, they had only seen a black cloud surrounding the castle, grabbed it violently, lifting it high in the air and throwing it with a great amount of strength against the ground, the resulting impact damaged every house on the surrounding area, and many candy people were, unfortunately, hurt.

"We're sorry... we couldn't do anything..." the Gumball Machine Guardians, keepers of the Royal Promise, sincerely apologized.

Princess Bubblegum ran to Dr. Ice Cream's side and started asking her about everyone's condition; she sighed in relief when Nurse Poundcake confirmed that nobody had died during the incident.

"OH - MY - GLOB... I think I'm totally scared right now!" LSP said. "There's no way I'm going to enter that castle! You hear me?!"

"C'mon LSP! You heard what Billy said; we need eight heroes, we have to get moving!" Finn said, completely annoyed by LSP's attitude.

"But I'm not a heroine! I'm just a small delicate princess! You can't force me to do something so dangerous!" she replied closing her eyes in fear. "No, I'm not entering that cursed place and you're not gonna convince me to do it!"

"But LSP, what are you saying? We're already inside the castle!" Jake said.

"Wh-what the? You tricked me guys! This is not fair! You hear me? NOT - FAIR!"

"LSP, keep your voice down! We don't know if it is safe here!" Jake said. "Maybe there's some kind of creepy monster lurking in the dark to attack us!"

"Well thanks a lot Jake. That was really motivating..." LSP said sarcastically.

"We must be careful guys, the castle is in really bad shape, things could fall off the ceiling, and everything is scattered on the floor, so watch your step." PB said.

"Floor? Ceiling? I think you may've got that backwards, princess! Hehe... 'backwards', get it?"

"Jake, I already told you. That's not funny..." Finn said.

The castle was indeed a disaster; it was almost impossible to move around due to the sheer amount of debris, walls, columns, furniture, broken glass, and all kind of stuff scattered on the floor, and the fact that it was already night-time didn't help either.

"Flambo, why don't you walk in front of us, so we can see where we're going?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"Sure thing, Princess!" He said as he moved ahead of the group, lighting up the path ahead.

"Now that's much better!" Jake said.

"Listen, we need to get to the lab, it used to be upstairs, which means we need to go down." PB said.

"Okay, so all we have to do is find the stairs!" Finn said.

"Wait, careful Finn! Not so fast!" PB said.

"Huh? What is it?"

"Remember, that the castle is full of trap doors and secret passages; Peppermint Butler and I were the only ones able to move around without getting lost, but now that everything is messed up, and probably to the big headache Jake gave me, I'm not sure if I can help you avoid them..." she said while rubbing her bump, still trying to ease the pain.

"Oh, that makes it a bit complicated..." Finn replied.

"Don't worry guys, I have the perfect solution!" Jake said, grabbing one column with his feet and stretching his body.

"Wait bro, you're not going to do what I think you are doing!"

"Don't worry Finn, the Candy Castle is not as big as that labyrinth, I'm gonna be fine..."

"O-okay... if you say so..."

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Okay guys! It's night-time, so let's get moving!" Marceline ordered.

"What? But it's so cozy in here! I don't want to go!" the Ice King said.

"Then stay here! I've wasted enough time already!" Marceline said. "Flame P, are you coming?"

"Yeah, I told you I'd stay with you!"

"Then let's go!" She replied. "Thanks a lot for everything, Tree Trunks."

"Oh, no need to worry my dear, it was nothing!" Tree Trunks said.

"Feel free to come back any time you want!" Mr. Pig said.

"You can count with it!" Marceline said, winking at them before flying away, closely followed by Flame P.

"Gunter, where are you going?" the Ice King asked, watching his loyal companion walk away.

"Wenk!"

"What?! You want to go with them?!"

"Wenk!"

"I feel so betrayed... Okay, you win, let's go!" he replied grabbing Gunter and began chasing the girls.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"I think we're already lost..." LSP said floating in front of them.

"Well more or less, at least we are descending!" Jake said.

"We've been going down for hours!" LSP replied. "You know what? I'm done with this! Good luck saving on the world!"

"Hehehehe..."

"Whatthelumpwasthat?!" LSP said in the blink of an eye, completely paralyzed by fear.

"I'm not sure, but I swear I've heard it before..." Finn said.

"I have a baaaad feeling, guys!" Jake said starting to shiver.

"G-guys?" Princess Bubblegum said. "Wh-what's that?" she said while pointing towards a bright round figure in the dark.

"It's some sort of crystal, or something..." Finn said.

"Oh! Another pretty jewel? MINE!" LSP shouted, quickly heading towards it.

"LSP! No!" Finn yelled. But LSP just kept running... floating... whatever! That until she saw something really creepy...

"Bubblegum? Why is your wall smiling at me?" LSP asked nervously.

"Th-that's not..." she replied, fear taking the courage to complete that sentence.

"Oh, Shoot!" Finn screamed. "LSP! Get away from there! It's an Evil Monster!"

"A WHAT?!" she yelled, completely terrified. "Oh Glob, it got me! It got me!" she screamed while being hold by a giant black hand with green claws.

The monster quickly came out of the dark, revealing his giant serpent-like body, with green spikes in the back and a big creepy smile full of sharp teeth. He had only one eye that seemed to be a yellow gemstone with an orange pentagon in the center.

"Jake! Do you recognize it? That's the monster we fought in Dad's Dungeon!"

"I wish I haven't bro!" Jake replied.

"How did this thing get into the castle without anyone noticing?" PB exclaimed, obviously shocked by the monster's presence in her home.

"I don't know princess! But you must get away from-!" Finn was captured by the monster's free hand before he could say anything else. "Aw, fudge!"

"_Haw haw haw!_" The monster laughed hysterically and tried to bite Finn, but Jake stretched his body around its face and pulled it back, exposing its eye.

The monster roared and started struggling to get free, moving its tentacles and its tail in desperation; he suddenly smashed the walks, causing debris, columns and everything around to collapse, the monster itself crushed by its own body.

"Nice job jerks!" LSP shouted at the monster. "Now let me go!"

"It won't be so easy, Jake! Kill it!" Finn said.

"Ngh! I can't... Finn, I've reached my limit! I can't stretch anymore, if I try something you two may get in serious trouble!" Jake replied. "Flambo! You must do something!"

"I'm sorry guys, but I'm trapped under this stupid column! I can't help you!"

"Oh Glob! Now what?" PB said.

"Princess! You're our last hope!" Finn shouted. "You must slay the monster!"

"W-what are you saying? I can't do something like that!" she replied.

"Yeah you can! Take my Demon Sword!" he said shaking from one side to the other, trying to make his sword fall. "Stab it in the eye! That's its weak point!"

"What?!" she replied.

"C'mon princess, move your butt! I can't feel my lungs!" LSP said.

"Can't... breathe!" Finn said, shaking, finally being able to free his sword, dropping on the floor with a loud clank.

"Hurry up princess!" Jake said. "I don't know for how long I will be able to keep him like this! Just grab the sword and stab it in the eye! You can do it!"

"N-no, I can't!" She said closing her eyes and falling on her knees.

"Princess Bubblegum! YOU'LL KILL US ALL!" LSP shouted.

"PB! You must... be brave! Do it for your people! Do it for... your friends!" Finn's voice was barely a whisper now, his lungs completely devoid of air.

She clenched her teeth and mumbled something, then, she opened her eyes and stood up.

"Oh! _Für Glob willen_!" she yelled, running towards the monster, rolling on the ground to grab the Demon Sword from the floor. "How do I reach the eye?"

"Use my body to jump over his head!" Jake said.

PB took a deep breath and jumped over Jake's body repeatedly, getting higher and higher with each jump. She bent her knees on the last jump to gain some extra impulse and flew into the monster's eye, thrusting the Demon Sword in it with all her strength, making it shine and explode in a million pieces. Its limp body hitting the ground

"Die, freak!" she yelled, falling towards the floor before being caught by Jake.

"Huff...huff... I can't believe it!" LSP said.

"What's so hard to believe? That I saved you?" PB asked smiling.

"No. That I almost got killed by your fault! Took you long enough to actually do something!" she replied.

"Bah, just ignore her PB, you did great!" Jake said.

"Yeah Bubblegum, you were amazing!" Finn said.

"Thanks Finn... I couldn't have done it without you!" she said.

"Well... hehe..." Finn said blushing.

"Nah, you were great Bubblegum... OH - MY - GLOB! I was so scared up there!" LSP said.

"Hey look! The monster's body disappeared!" Jake said.

"And the lab door was right behind it!" Princess Bubblegum said happily.

"Haha! Let's go guys!" Finn said.

"Hey guys! I could use some help here!" Flambo complained, still trapped under the destroyed column.


	9. The Girl Who Didn't Know How to Rock!

_Tale 9:_ The Girl Who Didn't Know How to Rock!

"I can't believe I'm finally going home!" Marceline said happily flying around. "C'mon Flame P, old guy! Keep following me!"

"And after that, we're going to meet your friends, right?" Flame P asked.

"Sure! I wonder what they have been doing since the last time we were together. Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough!"

"Ugh! I'm so tired... hey vampire, is that your house?" the Ice King asked.

"Yes it is!" Marceline answered. "Ahhh... home sweet cave!"

They entered the cave and flew just a few feet before they finally reached a small light purple house. Everyone landed on the front door.

"What your steps, Flame P; this place is all covered in water." Marceline said while opening the door.

"Thanks!" FP said, looking at the water on the other side of the house.

"Well guys, make yourselves at home." Marceline said while smelling PB's coat. "Wow, I stink! I better take a bath before changing my clothes."

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Hey Bubblegum, would you please tell us what the lump is taking you so long?" LSP asked, staring at the princess' pet, Science the Rat. "What is it Science? Can't reach your water? Well of course not! Your cage's upside down, you dumb rat! Here, let me help you..." LSP said, taking out the rat and then flipping up the cage. "There you go..."

"I'm trying to build a device that can track the Cosmic Weapons' energy signature... but I still can't figure out what's missing for it to work properly..." PB, who was now wearing her lab coat and busily working on said device, replied.

"And how does that thing can recognize the weapons' energy?" Finn asked, staring at the device while poking it with his finger.

"That's the problem!" PB said "There are a like hundred different types of magic energy in all of Ooo! If only we could find a way to..." she whispered while thinking in something.

"Well, that gauntlet was hidden in this castle for a long time, maybe if you take your thingie to where the gauntlet used to be..." Jake said nonchalantly while drawing in the chalkboard a picture of Lady Rainicorn and him playing the viola.

"I would be able to pick up the gauntlet's signal from it!" Princess Bubblegum said, suddenly standing up. "Jake, you're a genius!"

"Really? Hehe, nice, you hear that bro? I'm totes smart now!" Jake laughed writing the word genius under his drawing.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Flame Princess and the Ice King were simply relaxing at Marceline's living room, watching Gunter play with a bottle of tomato juice. Suddenly a small poodle came out from the kitchen and began to sniff all over Gunter.

"Wenk!" Gunter said when he noticed the dog behind him, turning around to face his 'assailant'.

"Woof!" the dog barked and began licking Gunter's face.

"Wenk!" Gunter said while patting the dog's head with his wing.

"Ahhh... I feel so much better now!" Marceline said coming down with her usual punk-style, but sporting a whole different outfit; red boots, grey jeans and a black tank top. "Oh, I see you met Schwabl! He's my little cute zombie dog!"

"Wenk!" Gunter replied.

"Well guys, we're ready to go!" Marceline said; carrying a big hat on her hand and her characteristic axe-bas tied over on her back.

"What's that?" The Flame Princess asked looking at her.

"Huh, this?" she said looking at her hat before putting it on "Yeah, I know it's ugly and all, but at with it I can move around during day-time" Marceline answered.

"No, I mean that thing you're carrying in your back!" Flame P said smiling.

"Oh...! Right well..." she said while removing her weapon-instrument off her back. "This is my axe-bass! Do you like it? It used to be some kind of family treasure but I stole it away from my father and added some of my style into it!"

"Some of your style?" FP asked.

"Yeah! It was meant to kill and stuff, but thanks to me, you can kill and rock at while you're at it! Pretty cool, isn't it?" Marceline said, holding it proudly.

"Hehehe! Yes! That's awesome!" the Ice King said. "Play something!"

"Rock?" Flame P asked, not really understanding what Marceline meant.

"Yeah, rock! Listen!" Marceline said and began to play a bass solo. "I bet you've never heard something so incredible in your entire mortal life!"

"No, I haven't." FP said with a serious tone.

"Wait... do you mean that..." Marceline could not believe what she just heard. "You don't know what rock is?"

"No." she simply stated.

"Oh my..." the Ice King said, simply staring at her.

"Heavy Metal?" Marceline asked.

"Nope." FP answered.

"Hard Rock?"

"No."

"Progressive?"

"Nah ah."

"Alternative?"

"No."

"Trash Metal?"

FP simply shook her head.

"Oh glob..." the Ice King said, he just kept staring at them.

"Black Metal, Death Metal, Gothic?!"

"No, no and no..."

"Doom? Punk?"

"I said no, Marceline!" Flame P suddenly yelled, clearly annoyed by the constant interrogation.

"_I don't want to live on this planet anymore..._" Marceline thought. "You've got to be freaking kidding me!" Marceline said, still not believing her hears. "How is it that a hot-headed girl like you doesn't know anything about rock? Where have you been all your life? Locked up in cage or something?"

"Well..." Flame Princess said while staring the floor.

"Oh..." Marceline said, suddenly realizing what she meant. "I'm sorry."

"Was it wrong?" FP asked looking at her. "What my father did to me... was it a mistake?"

"W-why would he lock you up?" Marceline asked, clearly shocked by her friend's words.

"I'm not sure... He always said that I was his evil daughter... an unstoppable force of destruction. And he was so proud of it... and I always thought that was something good, but now... I'm not sure..."

"Flame P..." Marceline said, scratching her head. "What your father did WAS wrong, but it was a mistake; fathers make mistakes all the time. " Marceline said, floating towards the fire girl. "I'm not a family expert but... I've also had my share of problems with my dad, which made me feel really confused and angry all the time..."

"Really?"

"Yeah..." Marceline replied smiling. "He's the Lord of Evil, and he's always bothering about wanting me to be like him and rule the Nightosphere to stay on the 'family business'... he even dared to eat my fries a long time ago, I even end up having a big fight with him. Hehe... I always thought he didn't love me because I wanted to be different than him... that he wasn't proud of what I was."

"You father is probably a lot like mine." Marceline continued. "He wants you to be like him, but you don't have to be what he wants... you just have to be yourself, and he'll have to love you for who you are because you're his daughter, just like my father did... But he'll probably keep bothering you all the time, because that's what fathers do! They only want to make us crazy, hehe!"

"I see... you're right, thanks Marceline." FP said, a gentle smile on her face

"Oh glob, _sniff._ That was so beautiful!" the Ice King said, tears on his eyes and hugging Gunter tightly.

"Wenk!"

"Oh, shut up!" Marceline said, a small blush appearing on her cheeks. "And you..." she said while pointing at Flame Princess "If you ever see your father again, tell him that you don't want to be destructive or evil, just tell him what you're gonna be whatever you want."

"I will."

"And you must also learn how to rock; it helps a lot, believe me." Marceline played some notes. "I would lend you one of my basses, but... you know, hehe."

"Yeah... I could burn them down, shoot! I'm sick of not being able to touch anything or anyone outside the Fire Kingdom without hurting them!" Flame P replied, completely annoyed.

"You must have some terrible luck, hehe!" the Ice King said while laughing.

Both girls then turned to look at him with an expression full of anger. "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say it!" Flame Princess said, making her flames grow bigger.

"I-I mean..." The Ice King replied scared. "You must have some terrible luck, not having something like the Pyrali's Sapphire and all that..."

"The... what?" Flame Princess asked; the intensity of her flames lowering as her face was a total mask of confusion.

"Hehe! I knew I'd got you attention!" the Ice King said while holding Gunter's wings and moving them rapidly. "It's an amulet created a long time ago by a fire elemental who wished to live in harmony with the whole Land of Ooo. If you put that on, you won't be able to burn or heat anything down unless you want it to!"

"Is... is that even possible?" Marceline asked, leaning her elbow on her axe-bass.

"Yes it is! Pyralis was one of the wisest and greatest wizards to ever walk on this planet, hehe!" the Ice King replied with pride.

"How do you know all of this?" FP asked.

"Well, you see... one day I decided to go to the library and pay a little visit to Turtle Princess! But these fools! They're always ruining my plans of marrying a princess!" the Ice King said remembering. "I had my library card revoked because of them! So I decided to steal a book before leaving, it was about some of the greatest wizards in history! I so wanted to become like them, that way I would finally be able to win over a princess' heart hehe... But in the end I couldn't, so I just threw that useless book away!" he finished, laughing maniacally.

"Do you know where to find it?" Flame Princess asked, now filled with determination.

"Whoa... wait, are you out of your mind?" Marceline looked at her. "How do you know if what he says is true? This old guy's crazy! Just look at him!"

Both turned in time to see the Ice King putting on his beard on Gunter's head to make him look like if he had long hair, "'I'm the Penguin Princess! I'm the fairest princess in Ooo! Oh Ice King, you're so handsome... would you marry me and live with me forever?'" he mockingly said, making a really girly voice.

"Wenk!" Gunter said, completely terrified.

"I know but... it's just that..." Flame Princess replied with a sad voice.

"Glob... I'm so going to hate myself after this..." Marceline said rubbing her neck. "Hey Ice King, can you tell us where can we find that amulet?"

"Hehehe! You are asking me for help?" the Ice King said standing up.

"Yeah... now just hurry up and tell us!" Marceline replied.

"Not so fast! If you want me to tell you, you'll have to ask more nicely! Say: 'Oh, handsome Ice King, would you please be so kind to help me?' Or else I won't help you!"

"WHAT?" Marceline said angrily. "I would never do something so humiliating!"

"Very well, then I won't tell you anything..." he replied.

"Marceline, please!" FP said staring at her.

"No way!"

"Marceline... pleaaaase?" Flame Princess kept insisting, a fake sad expression on her face.

"Ngh... fine!" Marceline said. "But you'll owe me big time! You hear me?!"

"Hehe..." the Ice King giggled quiet.

Marceline took a deep breath and sighed, "Ice King..."

"'Oh, handsome...'" he corrected.

"Oh, handsome..." she started repeating, a deep red blush on her face "... Ice King, can you tell us..."

"'Would you please be so kind...'" he corrected once again.

"Argh! Would you please be so kind to help me?!"

"Now say the entire sentence!" the Ice King said.

"What?! I already told you everything!" Marceline complained.

"Say it or else I won't help you!"

"_Ngh... I swear I'm going to kill you after this!_" she thought. "Oh, handsome... Ice King, would you please... be so kind to help me?"

"Hehehe! There you go! Was that so hard?"

"Just shut up and tell us before I do something violent to you!" Marceline said, completely infuriated.

"Okay! Okay! No need to be rude! Jeez..." the Ice King replied. "Somewhere within the Ice Kingdom, there's an ice cavern where the cold is so... well, cold, hehe! That no normal person would ever be able to get through without freezing. Only a-"

"Only a fire elemental would be able to stand such cold..." FP finished for him.

"Or the Great Ice King, hehe!" he replied.

"That means we'll have to fly a long distance again..." Marceline said. "Flame P, are you sure of this?"

She nodded. "Of course I am!"

"Then let's go!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Is it working?" Finn asked.

"Hmmm... wait, just a little more... that's it! I've got it!" Princess Bubblegum said. "Look, there are seven signals!"

"Wait, wasn't there supposed to be eight of those things?" LSP asked.

"Yeah, but the eighth one was Billy's Cosmic Gauntlet and that thing's all broken so..." Jake said.

"Yes, it wouldn't be able to detect it." Princess Bubblegum replied.

"Okay, where is the closest one then?" Finn asked, mentally preparing himself for another adventure.

"The closest one is right... Guys! You're not going to believe it! The closest one is in the Ice Kingdom!" PB said.

"You mean The Fire Kingdom, right?" Jake said.

"We have to go back to that place?! Oh Glob!" LSP replied.

"Right! But this time, we'll be prepared for whatever comes at us." Finn said.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Are you sure the Ice Kingdom is in this direction?" Marceline asked.

"I think that I know exactly where I live, thank you very much!" the Ice King replied.

"But, Ice King... this place is like where I live!" FP said.

"Nonsense! I... What the-? This is the Fire Kingdom!"

"Don't you remember? The Lich messed up all Ooo..." Marceline said.

"Shoot! Then if the ice cavern's still here..." Flame P said.

"Then it's probably melting down... making it extremely dangerous for you to get in..." Marceline replied. "You're still going in there?"

"I have to!" FP said, her face full with determination.

Marceline smiled. "Excellent!"

"The temperature's getting hotter and hotter as we move forward... If I don't do something I'm gonna melt!" the Ice King said, stopping his flight.

"That's right! You need a Flame Shield in order to enter The Fire Kingdom!" FP said.

"Haha, I don't!" Marceline said happily. "I've been playing here before, so I can take it!"

"Then I'll create a Frost Shield for Gunter and Me." the Ice King said. "Hey vampire! I think we're getting close!"

"Okay! Let's go down!" Marceline replied.

The group landed and made their way looking for the ice cavern. After a few minutes of walking, they finally found it, and they were right, it was melting down.

"Hey... guys, did you hear that?" Marceline asked looking around.

"Fire wolves..." FP said. "They like to roam near areas where it's not so hot, that's why they're usually found in the limit between the Ice Kingdom and the Fire Kingdom. Maybe they were attracted by the ice melting; this got to be the cavern!"

"Great! I hate those creatures!" the Ice King said.

"Wait, did you say fire wolves?" Marceline asked interested. "Cool! I like wolves! Hehe, look! I can see them from here! Let's follow them!" she said taking flight.

Marceline flew faster and stopped right by the fire wolves howling and acting like them, and then she returned to where her companions were.

"They say that the water is right in front of us and that there would be lots of steam, mud and ashes to play with!" Marceline said, then sat on the ground to scratching her ear with her foot.

"Yeah... but we didn't come here to play..." FP replied.

"You didn't, but I have to entertain myself with something while the two of you are in there!"

"What?! Hey! I'm not going inside of there!" The Ice King shouted.

"Yes, you ARE!" Marceline replied. "You have to take care of her, and if you don't, I'll kill you!" she finished, intentionally showing off her fangs.

"Aaaah! B-but of c-course ma'am!" he said completely terrified. "W-whatever you order m-ma'am!"

The group then followed the pack of wolves until they arrived to what once had been an entrance, but now was simply mud and water on the ground. The wolves quickly began to run around it, followed by Marceline, covering themselves with the ashes and splashing mud everywhere. Meanwhile, Flame P and the Ice King prepared themselves to enter the cavern.

"Good luck guys!" Marceline said while sitting in the mud with the fire wolf cubs, which burst into flames randomly.

"Good luck she says?! She isn't the one risking her live here! She's just messing around with those horrible animals!" the Ice King complained.

"Wenk!" Gunter said slowly making his way to Marceline's side.

"Gunter, what are you doing? You're not allowed to play with mud!" the Ice King yelled.

"Wenk!" Gunter said, already covered in mud and chasing off a fire wolf cub.

"Gunter! Are you listening to me?!"

"Let him go with them, it's too dangerous for him to come in." Flame Princess said, entering the cavern.

"Whatever! But if one of those dogs bite you, don't you dare come crying to me!"

As they made their way deeper into the cavern, they could feel the temperature lowering, much to The Ice King's relief. Tiny drops of melted ice were falling from the ceiling, slowly but surely covering the floor with water.

Flame princess moaned in pain, feeling the drops of water hitting her body, a cloud of steam slowly coming out of her.

"You know... if you keep going like this, you'll die." the Ice King said.

"It'd take more than tiny drops of water to kill me!" she replied, the pain the little drops were causing her making her more and more irritated.

"You are not making it any easier! Your body's also melting down this place!"

"I can see that!" she snapped at him.

"Okay, okay! Just sayin'..."

They continued walking into the cave, deeper and deeper, but there was no sign of the amulet. Flame Princess was starting to feel weak, as everything around her melted away; her now steaming body thickening the air, making it difficult for them to breathe.

"Darn... the air is... hard to breathe... it's suffocating!" FP said, holding her throat with her hand.

"I told you, you're gonna die." the Ice King simply said.

"I'm not giving up!" she shouted at him.

"Hey, there's no need to yell! You're just going to choke out faster or bring the whole place down!"

"Huff... huff... you're not... helping me. Get... out of... here!" Flame Princess said, quickly losing her patience.

"Shut up! I won't leave you! There's a vampire waiting outside just to kill me if you don't make it out!" the Ice King replied. "Here, let me try something!"

He lifted his hands, using his powers to keep the ceiling and the walls from melting.

"There! No more water until this place begins to melt again, or you melt it down first."

"I-I don't think my body can melt anything now... I'm f-feeling... s-so c-cold..." she whispered weakly, falling on her knees and breathing at a fast pace.

"Yeah... you do seem a little bit dull right now... Hey! Wait! Don't close your eyes!" the Ice King said, quickly holding her before she collapsed onto the ground. "Hey, fire girl! Don't die on me! If you die, I'm next!" he said, desperately trying to keep her conscious "Oh glob... why did I have to follow these girls? They both just want to get themselves killed!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Okay! We've got food, a map of Ooo, a lantern, a few weapons and proper clothing." she said while putting everything into her own backpack "I think we are ready to go now!" Princess Bubblegum said, closing her backpack. She was a pair of blue jeans, a pink t-shirt, a pink hoodie tied on her waist, and white shoes. Her hair was tied into a ponytail.

"Finally!" Finn said. "Hey Jake! You're ready to go?"

"Nah, you guys go on ahead... I'm sleeping, I'll catch on with you guys later..." he replied lying in a couch.

"Jake!"

"Thank you for lending us your house Starchy! I promise to repay you all of your help!" PB said.

"Don't worry princess, after all this mess, this is the least I could do for The Candy Kingdom!"

The candy people had set tents all over the graveyard and illuminated it with candles placed over the tombstones. Many were sitting in the ground chatting and eating, while others were helping the wounded and lighting more candles; something Flambo happily helped with.

"Hey Starchy, you must be very generous to let all the candy people take shelter in here, although the graveyard is a bit scary..." Cinnamon Bun said.

"Yeah, I don't think that keeping people in the graveyard as a shelter is a good idea, especially with that Lich guy causing so much trouble..." LSP said.

"LSP the graveyard is way safer than the city! If another earthquake comes, they won't have to worry about a building going down and crushing them!" Finn said.

"Well, if something bad happens, I want everyone to know that this was his idea!" LSP said while pointing at Cinnamon Bun

"Okay!" he happily replied.

"All the preparations are done, Princess! You're free to go." Peppermint Butler said.

"모두가 내 등에 올라타십시오! 우리 간다!" Lady Rainicorn said, landing close to them.

"Here we go!" Finn said while putting a sleeping Jake on his shoulder jumping onto Lady's back.

'_Good luck Princess!' 'See you soon guys!' 'Please come back in one piece!' 'We'll be pray to Glob for your safety!_' The candy people yelled at them, waving and jumping while our heroes took flight and disappeared into the horizon.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"What's taking them so long? It's been hours since they entered that cave..." Marceline wondered. Her body completely covered in mud and soot all over her face. "Hey guys, I don't think I can play with you anymore... my friends are worrying the hay out of me."

The fire wolves replied barking and howling.

"But I'll freeze to moment I try to enter that place... What should I do?" Marceline ponder "Umm... maybe I'll just sit here and wait for them a little longer." Marceline talked to the wolves. "Hey guys!" She said while taking out her bass. "Want to hear something good?"

"Wenk!" a muddy Gunter replied.

"Haha, you've got great taste, my friend!" Marceline said beginning to play.

_Inside the ice cavern..._

"Look at me, the great Ice King... all I've done since I met these girls is carrying them around!" he started to complain "I'd rather be carrying a princess that suits my desires, not this pair of psychos!"

"Hey... w-what's... that?" FP asked quietly, slowly pointing at whatever was in front of them.

"Hmmm, a skeleton... somebody must've died here. Well that's no surprise, this place is... Hey! That's Pyralis! And he's wearing the amulet! Hehe! This must be our lucky day!" the Ice King said while leaning to grab the amulet.

"Hey... wait. W-what if this is... s-some kind of?" FP said, struggling to complete the sentence.

"Trap? Nah, I don't think so!" the Ice King replied just as he grabbed the amulet. "Hang in there fire girl! We're getting out of here!" he finished.

But just he took the sapphire away from its previous owner's neck, the ground began to shake violently, ice rocks began to fall from the ceiling, just in front of them. The melted cavern was starting to collapse.

"I-I told y-you..."

"Shut up kid! This place's going down! Time to get out of here!" the Ice King said, swiftly dodging the sharp ice stalactites that were falling all over the place.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"The signal's getting closer! Lady, let's go down!" Princess Bubblegum ordered.

"Wait, we're not going to bump into that fire psycho again, are we?"

"No LSP, the Fire Palace is in the opposite direction." PB replied.

"This place must've been part of The Ice Kingdom, everything's melting, all I can see is mud!" Jake said.

"C'mon guys, follow me! We're getting close!" PB said, running as she held the device in front of her.

"Wait... "Finn stopped suddenly "Does anyone hear that?" he asked, paying attention so as to hear more clearly "It's music! And I know that song!"

"Yeah, I can hear it too!" LSP said.

"Do you think that..." PB wondered. "Could it be?"

They all began to run towards the place where the music came from.

"Marceline?!" the all exclaimed.


	10. The Lich's Labyrinth!

_Tale 10:_ The Lich's Labyrinth!

"_The fire burns in my soul, melt the cold of it all!_

_Kick an old man's butt; spread the blood and the smut!_ Hehe!"

"Marceline, that's just distasteful!" Princess Bubblegum said grinning.

"Huh? What the-? Bonnie?! What are you doing here?" Marceline asked, clearly surprised, while still sitting in the mud and wearing her large hat in order to cover herself from the sun.

"I didn't come alone!" she replied. As soon as she finished speaking, Finn and the others appeared behind a rocky wall.

"You weenies... you're alright!" Marceline said jumping up and running towards them. "Finn, you stupid here!" she said hugging him strongly, not letting him breathe.

"Marcy... let me go... please." he barely replied, before she released him. "Hey, look at me now! I'm all muddy!" he said laughing "Why are you so dirty?"

"I was just playing in the mud with the fire wolfs" Marceline answered. "Hey Bonnie, how about a hug?"

"Don't you even think about it!" Princess Bubblegum replied firmly.

Everyone laughed.

"Oh! Taking about moody princesses... I mean the mud in the princess..." Marceline said while taking something out. "Here's your coat!"

The princess received it a bit disconcerted and stared it for a minute. "Marceline... what happened to the coat I gave you?"

"What do you mean? That is your coat!" Marceline replied, putting up a naïve smile.

"Oh Glob! Here it goes..." LSP said sighing, Finn and Jake nodded and sighed in resignation.

"Marceline... my coat was pink... this can't possibly be considered as pink!"

"Yeah... I guess it got a little bit dirty on my way back..."

"And... it stinks!" PB said smelling it.

"Well, I kinda wore it for like... two days, without taking a bath."

"Marceline!"

"What? I was on a crazy journey! I had to fight a couple of freaks and then run away as fast as I could! It's just sweat anyway..."

"Marceline... is this... blood?"

"Well, I guess even vampires can bleed if they get hurt, sue me! I warned you I wasn't going to take care of it! But I can help you out with that! Give me the coat; I'll suck the blood out for you!" Marceline said trying to take the coat, but PB put it out of her reach.

"You've done enough, thank you! Where have you been anyway?" Bubblegum asked concerned.

"I already told you, I was on this crazy journey with... Oh crab! I completely forgot about them! They're still in there!"

"What are you talking about?" Jake asked.

"I made some pals on the way here and well, one of them is some old dude, and the other is a fire elemental girl, she wanted an amulet called the Pyralis' Sapphire and went in there so she could get it." Marceline answered.

"A f-fire elemental?" Finn asked opening his eyes widely.

"Yeah, do you know her? Princess, long dress, yellow bright skin, fire hair... I could sense your scent on her, that's why I've been helping her out."

"That's Flame Princess! You've been traveling with Flame Princess!" Finn said anxiously. "You hear that Jake, we found her!"

"The one and only, bro! I told you you'd see her again!" Jake finished looking at him.

"So you really know her?" Princess Bubblegum asked to Finn and Jake. "Guys! What's wrong with you?! You saw how mad the Flame King was at you two. We have to take her back to the Fire Kingdom!"

"Oh no, you won't!" Marceline said. "She's coming with me!"

"What?" PB replied. "What have you done to her? Where is she?"

"Like I said, she's inside the ice cavern with the old dude." Marceline answered seriously. "But don't dare to put one foot in there, or you'll freeze before you can say 'cold'."

"She's inside of there?" Finn asked concerned. "But that place is melting down! She could die in there!" he quickly headed towards the cave, but Marceline grabbed his arm firmly.

"You'll die too if you go in there." she said. "Stay here, I'm sure they'll make out it alive."

"Man, this sucks..." Finn sighed, dropping to the floor in defeat.

"Oh Glob..." Jake whispered worriedly.

"I hope you're right!" LSP said biting her nails. "If something bad happens to that girl that Flame King is gonna roast us alive!"

"Marceline, how could you? She's only a little girl, and you carelessly sent her into certain death!" Princess Bubblegum shouted.

"Shut up! She knew it was dangerous and I tried to convince her not to, but she wanted to go in anyway, she was really determined to get that amulet, and I respect determination." Marceline said facing her.

"Why would she want that amulet so badly?" Finn asked himself, still unable to understand what was going on.

"I think she's doing it for you." Marceline said, bending down at his side. "With that thing on, she'll be able to live outside of her kingdom without hurting the ones she loves."

"Marceline... h-how did you-?" Finn asked looking at her, completely taken off-guard by Marceline's words.

"It is pretty obvious, weenie, hehe... I'm a thousand years old, remember?"

He smiled, his confidence slowly coming back at him. "Do you really think she'll make it?"

"I'm positive."

"Hehe, it seems that the Vampire Queen does have feelings after all..." Princess Bubblegum said, understanding the situation.

"Shut it Bonnibel! Or I'll rip your sticky head off!"

"Well, I guess it couldn't last forever." She replied laughing.

"It's a shame we can't do anything to help them..." Jake said. "Wait... who's the old dude inside there with her?"

"Just a crazy old guy with ice powers..." Marceline answered. "He said his name was the Ice King or something like that..." she said nonchalantly.

"WHAT?!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Gaaaah! That one almost hit us!" the Ice King screamed, dodging a giant piece of ice. "Faster... I have to run faster!" he said panting "Wait a sec... run? Why am I running? I can fly!" he said, flapping his beard to gain altitude before shooting himself forward.

"Here I come! Great speed, great speed! I can do it!" he said to himself. "Hey fire girl, you still alive? We're gonna make it!" he said to FP.

He never got an answer.

"F-fire girl?"

Again, there was no response.

"D-don't tell me you are-!" he started to say, before looking on his back; Flame Princess was nowhere to be seen "Wait! Where is she? I could swear she was on my back! Aw fudge, she must've fallen down!

_Meanwhile, deeper into the cavern..._

"T-that fool... f-flying off... without warning m-me..." FP said, desperately trying to stand up.

"Huff... huff... I-I can't die in h-here... I've... I've got t-the sapphire..." she said while pressing it strongly against her chest with her hands. The whole place was collapsing over her.

"Him... this is all... his f-fault... if only he hadn't c-come... if only h-he... hadn't told me those t-things... defying n-nature for me... d-defying..." her body heat was already low. She was very weak. She wasn't even able to keep herself on her feet.

She leaned against an icy wall. "Haha... f-funny... I can't even... f-feel the pain... hehe..."

"_There must be s-something I can do... I don't w-want to die out... not... yet..._" she said, her body almost devoid of energy, her eyes closing.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"_Finn... even if we like each other, we're just going to hurt each other" she said, her voice full of sorrow._

_"No, we don't have to. I can take it... I... I mean, can't we just try?"_

_"You would defy nature for me?"_

_"Uh... yeah, whatevs."_

**x+x+x+x+x**

"That's it!" she said to herself. "I'll do it! I'll... defy nature!"

She began to gather the little energy she had left, building up her flames once again.

"Rise, fire! Rise!" she said as her body temperature increased at an accelerated speed.

"I-I can do it... I am... I'm an unstoppable force of destruction! I can do it!" she yelled as she released all of her build-up energy, making her flames grow into a gigantic size. "Hyah! I'll melt this place down one and for all!"

Suddenly her flames exploded, expanding the fire all over the cavern, covering it in a cloud of smoke.

_While far away, in another part of the cavern..._

"D-don't die just yet, fire girl! I'm coming for you!" the Ice King said, quickly making his way back towards her. "Oh crab! What's that?" he wondered, until he saw a huge gust of flames coming his way "Fire! The cave's on fire!" he said turning around once more in order to escape.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"What the-?" Marceline said looking towards the ice cavern.

"The cave's is on fire!" Jake said.

"Fire?" Princess Bubblegum said. "Oh no! Everybody get down! Get some cover!" she ordered.

"What?" Finn asked not understanding.

"A huge amount of fire is being compressed and released within a small empty space!" PB began to explain. "The air in here is full of oxygen and flam-exygen; a gas that can only be found in the Fire Kingdom! When those two gases are combined, they become highly inflammable! In other words..."

"This whole place is going to explode!" Marceline shouted.

"WHAT?" LSP said.

"Brace yourselves!" Jake said, quickly stretching and in order to cover the whole gang, just two seconds before the explosion.

Everyone screamed, feeling the terrible force of the explosion crushing their bodies against the rocky wall Jake used to support himself.

"Hoooolyyy craaaab!" the Ice King shouted as he was sent flying away by the explosive wave, leaving a trace of smoke behind him. He crashed into the rocky wall and fell hard on Jake's body, causing him to let go of the wall.

Everyone fell onto the ground and moaned, while they tried to get to their feet.

"Whoa! Hehe! That was pretty intense!" the Ice King said.

"G-get off me, you cow!" Finn yelled under his butt.

"Finn? What are you doing here?" the Ice King asked.

"What is it to you, what are YOU doing here?" he replied.

"Hey Finn, calm down! He's with me, remember?" Marceline said, trying to walk towards them. She was still a little dizzy due of the explosion.

"I don't believe it!" LSP said. "I survived an explosion! Melissa will be so jealous when I tell her my life is more exciting than hers!

"그것 뻔 했네!" Lady Rainicorn, slowly said standing up.

"How did you end up bumping into this freak, Marcy?" Finn asked, pointing at the Ice King.

"Hey! I'm not a freak!" he refuted.

"Wenk!" Gunter said.

"Gunter!"

"Flame P and I were messing around in his castle and... Flame P!" she said as she ran towards the hole that used to be the ice cavern. "I can't see her! Where is she?"

"Oh no!" Princess Bubblegum said, quickly running by Marceline's side. "I hope she didn't..."

"Flame Princess! Where are you?" Finn said concerned.

"Hey guys! I think I found her! Hehe!" Jake said pointing the sky.

Flame Princess was happily watching them from the sky. "Hey! I'm okay!" she said while descending.

Marceline reached her before the others. "Flame P! You created that awesome explosion?"

"Yes... I suddenly remembered that... well, I was an unstoppable force of destruction, hehe" FP answered, blushing a bit. She was now wearing the Pyralis' Sapphire as a necklace. "That explosion gave me my strength back! I'm as good as new!"

"Hehe, I'm to hear that." Marceline said, patting FP's head.

"Huh? Wait... you're not..." Flame P noticed.

"The Ice King was right, that sapphire is working!" Marceline said grinning.

"I... I can't believe it, that means..." she smiled and hugged Marceline all of a sudden.

"Hey! W-what are you doing?" Marceline was surprised because of Flame Princess' unexpected reaction.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Flame P said, still holding the vampire's waist. "I feel like I've been freed for a terrible curse, and it's all thanks to you!"

"I ah... it was nothing... really..." Marceline said, turning her face away because of the embarrassment. "Hey look! My friends are here!"

"Flame Princess!"

"I... I know that voice." FP said finally, letting go of Marceline. "F-finn?"

"Great! You still remember me, haha!" Finn said blushing.

"Is he your friend?" FP asked looking at Marceline. She simply nodded.

"W-why are you staring me like that?" Finn asked nervously.

"Do you still remember what you said to me?" she asked.

Finn blinked confused.

"Would you still do it? Would you still defy nature for me?"

"I ah..." he said.

"'Cause I'm doing it right now, for you..." Flame Princess said. "I'm won't be able to burn you ever again... "

"That's not true..." Finn said smiling. "'Cause every time I see you... I feel like my heart is on fire." he said, closing the distance between them "Can we try it... again?"

"Yes, please..." she said hugging him.

"Flame Princess... you're so... warm." he said, returning the hug.

"Well that's so cute! I see you two get along nicely and all, but I think we still got a little business on our hands that can't be ignored, am I right?" Marceline said, suddenly interrupting them.

"Hey bro! The signal!" Jake said, arriving the scene. "Oh! Hi there Flame Princess, hehe!" he quickly grabbed Finn's shirt and pulled him towards him. "I see you made it to Tier 1, nice job dude!" Jake whispered.

"W-what are you talking about?" Finn said blushing.

"C'mon, you can't fool me, I saw you two getting all huggy in there, hehe!" Jake replied. "Anyway, Peebles said that the signal is really close but..."

"34... 35... 36 and... 37" Princess Bubblegum said, standing right in front of Flame Princess. "This is odd..." she said while pointing her devices towards her.

"H-how may I help you?" FP asked a little bit nervous due of having a stranger so close to her.

"Oh! I'm sorry! So you're Flame Princess... Hi, I'm Princess Bubblegum!" She said, extending her hand towards her.

"Hi..." FP said while, shaking hands with her.

"Please forgive me for startling you, hehe... I was just following this thing's signal, and I didn't pay attention to where I was going."

"Pssst, please! Don't believe anything she says... She never pays attention to anything besides her big, fat-!"

"Marceline! Please!" PB shouted. Flame Princess giggled.

"Well... as I was saying, my device took me straight to you, but I don't think you are what I'm looking for..." PB said, before focusing on Flame Princess' necklace "Wait, maybe... May I see your necklace for a moment, please?"

"What? No way! I'm not taking it off!" Flame P said, holding it defensively between her hands.

"Okay, okay, calm down! I'm not going take it away from you. I just want to see if my device responds to it."

"Mmmm... okay, use your thing, but I'm not taking it off!" FP replied, still holding tightly between her hands.

"Thanks, I guess..." Bubblegum said, holding her invention close to Flame P's amulet, making it blink like crazy. "I don't believe it... this necklace is one of the Cosmic Weapons!"

"This is... some kind of weapon?" Flame Princess asked, staring it with curiosity.

"Well... it doesn't look like a weapon to me..." LSP said, turning her attention towards FP "Hey, how are you doing?"

"Wait a second! Cosmic what now?" Marceline said. "What's that thing, and why is it blinking?"

"Marceline, do you remember the warning you gave me that night at the Candy Caste?" PB answered. "Well everything that has happened to Ooo since then was caused by The Lich... I'm sure I talked to you about him, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I know... we bumped into that guy a couple of days ago..." Marceline said.

"You what?!" Jake asked, completely amazed. "But... you're still alive!"

"Jake, I'm not really alive..." she replied.

"But you're not dead either, right? Hehe..."

"Whoa, Marcy, how did you two managed to escape away from him?" Finn asked interested.

"Well... it wasn't easy, I tell you!" she said. "Anyway... Bonnie, you were saying?"

"The thing is that, the only way to stop The Lich is by gathering the legendary eight Cosmic Weapons, ones that only true heroes can use." Princess Bubblegum finished.

"Only true heroes, huh? Ha! Who told you that?" Marceline asked floating around.

"That would be none other than Billy the Hero in person, hehe!" Jake answered happily.

"Billy? That guy who used to battle with a yelling out her sword's name every five minutes? He's still alive?" Marceline wondered.

"What, you've met him before?" Finn asked.

"Yeah! I think it was... about 73 years ago, yeah, I remember now! He tried to kill me once, just like you did, but I decided to fly away from him because he was boring."

"You mean you ran away from him!" Jake said with a smile on his face.

"Hey Jake... don't forget who you're talking with... I still like drinking blood and all. Ummm... I wonder how dog blood tastes like. Maybe we should figure it out, don't you think?" Marceline said with a menacing tone passing her sharp nails around his neck.

"Hehe... I-I get it... I'm sorry... p-please don't talk like that!" Jake apologized. "Man... she gives me the creeps!"

"You think you're the only one? I don't know why, but I'm also getting a chill down my spine!" LSP said, completely terrified.

"Oh no... not again... " Marceline said "It's that creep again! He's here!"

"The Lich?!" Finn said, taking out is Demon Sword.

"I'm sure of it... there's no way I would ever forget that feeling." she replied, taking out her axe-bass. "There's no holding back this time!"

"Wait! Finn, Marceline! You can't fight him! Remember?" Princess Bubblegum said standing in front of them.

"Move aside Bonnie! I know I can't destroy him, but I can sure as hell fight him!" Marceline replied.

"Yeah! We'll kick his dead butt!" Finn said.

"No you won't! Have you forgotten that The Lich can take control of your minds if you get too close to him?" PB said firmly.

Suddenly the sky became dark and everything around them; even the wind had stopped. The Lich was suddenly in front them, crashing against the land like thunder. His appearance had certainly changed a lot since the last time. His 'new' body had rotten quickly and he was covering it with a black hood. He didn't seem as strong as before, but something in him made everyone in the group shiver with fear.

"_HAW HAW HAW... COME AND FACE ME, IF YOU'RE BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO SO!_"

"Grrr! You see Bonnibel! He's asking for it!" Marceline said moving forward.

"No, please stay here!" Bubblegum said holding her.

"Marceline who's this guy?" Flame Princess asked.

"I-I was there... that time when he almost killed off the world so many years ago... I know he's too powerful for us to fight, but he really freaks me out! I hate him! I just want to kick him in the crotch!" Marceline said with anger. "Back then, I didn't know who he was, and the first time I saw him, I was paralyzed by fear... If that Billy guy hadn't fought him... Everything would be nothing but now. That's why I want to beat him up so badly!"

"So that's how you really met him!" Jake said.

"You're wrong..." Marceline said grinning. "That was just the first time I saw him."

"Oh..." Jake replied.

"_What are you waiting for? FACE ME IF YOU DARE!_"

A strong wind began to blow, the skies became even darker, but Finn and the rest remained in silence.

"_You won't come? HEHEHE... not even you, FINN THE HUMAN?_"

"I promise I'll turn you into a pile of poop real soon!" he replied.

"_Soon? Why not now? WHY NOT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW?_" The Lich said, hitting the ground with his fist, making the earth jump and throwing the gang into the air.

The Ice King reacted quickly and rescued both Gunter and Jake before falling, Marceline grabbed Princess Bubblegum's shirt with one hand and Flambo's tail with the other, and Flame Princess managed to catch Finn in midair.

"Wow, thanks Ice King! I didn't expect that from you!" Jake said.

"Isn't that what friends are supposed to do?" he replied wondering. "Or did I have to let you fall?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Whoa! Hey! I could use some help here!" Marceline said to Lady Rainicorn. "This little fire guy's burning my hand! And this one is too heavy!" She said, looking at PB "Even for someone as strong as me!"

"Marceline! This is not time for jokes!" Princess Bubblegum replied.

"Who's joking?" Marceline said grinning. "You should really stop eating so much candies, you're gonna end up turning into cannibalism, hehe!"

"Hey you creep! What was that for?" Finn asked angrily from FP's arms. "Just wait and see! When we gather the Cosmic Weapons, we are going to punch your smelly teeth out of your mouth! Oh, wait... why should we make you better-looking?"

Marceline and Jake laughed. "Haha! Good one bro!" Jake said.

"_The Cosmic Weapons? HA! Don't tell me you believe in that ridiculous! HAW HAW HAW! Well, if that's how you want it... I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND THEM AND USE THEM AGAINST ME!_"

"Really?" Jake asked confused.

"_But in order to do that, you must play my game! I'll turn this land into my game board!_"

"What?" Princess Bubblegum asked. "That can't be good..." she thought to herself.

"_HAW HAW HAW!_" The Lich laughed and directed his dark powers on the land. The ground started to crack and giant stonewalls emerged from it, completely surrounding the entire Land of Ooo, and causing havoc among the entire as they appeared.

"Wh-what just happened?" LSP asked terrified.

"_I think you can see it clearly from where you stand; I have turned the Land of Ooo into a labyrinth, hehe... The rules are simple: Make your way through my labyrinth, and try to gather your weapons._ _I'll be waiting for you at the end of it, hehe... but you better make it quick, I really doubt your precious land has much time left..._"

"Explain yourself!" Marceline demanded.

"_While you're collecting your toys, I'll be sucking out the life out of this land and everything on it... hehe. And you better make it quick and reach me before I finish draining the life out of everything and make myself stronger! HAW HAW HAW!_"

"There's no way we'll accept to play something like that!" Finn shouted.

"_You have no choice! I've challenged you, and according to your precious book, HEROES CAN'T DENY A CHALLENGE!_"

"What? The Enchiridion?! Where did you get that?" Finn asked, not believing what his eyes were seeing.

"I knew that bear was up to something!" Jake said.

"_There's nothing you can do... you either play, or your DIE! HAW HAW HAW!_" and with that, The Lich disappeared within the darkness he had created.

"This... is the end..." Princess Bubblegum said.

"How are we supposed to win this time?" Jake asked. "We've never faced something like this before!"

"Oh...why do I feel so... scared?" the Ice King said.

"Wenk..."

"Don't worry Gunter, no matter what happens, I'll always be with you!" the Ice King replied and began to cry.

"Oh Glob... I never thought my life would end in this way..." LSP said. "I want to see my parents! Mom, Dad, I love you both, even if you force me to live in an ugly house!"

"Damn it!" Marceline shouted. "We can't just stay here and do nothing! Guys! C'mon!"

"Marceline's right! We've got to do something!" Flame Princess said.

"But things are getting pretty hot, my princess!" Flambo said looking at her. "Do you think we stand a chance?"

"Of course we do!" she replied. "We can't give up now! Everyone in Ooo needs us! We can't abandon them! We are their only hope!"

"You know Flame Princess... you speak in such a passionate way... and your words are so full of wisdom. I'm impressed..." Princess Bubblegum said. "You're right! As long as someone dares to fight, we still have hope!"

"Yeah!" Finn said. "We can be heroes! All of us!"

"Heroes, huh?" Marceline whispered. "Sounds interesting..."

"You mean I can stay with you?" the Ice King asked. "I can be one of the good guys? A hero? Princesses like heroes, right?"

"Wenk!"

"Hehe, I guess this is the beginning of our greatest adventure yet!" Jake said. "... Lady, if anything bad happens to me... I want you to know that..."

"난 널 사랑해!"

"Yeah... me too baby!" he replied.

"I guess... This is an opportunity to learn who we really are, and what are we capable of... Even if we are different and come from different lands; we can make our differences aside and join forces to defend everything we love and believe in..." LSP commented.

"Huh?" everyone said, completely dumbfounded.

"Whoa... LSP, I didn't know you could say stuff like that!" Jake said.

"Nah... It's called an epiphany... it only happens once in lifetime, so don't expect me to repeat something like that! Glob... I'm so lumping hungry..."

"Riiight..." Marceline said confused. "So, Bonnie... why don't you use that thing of yours to get us started on the right direction?"

"Sure!" PB replied. "The closest signal is located... to the south!"

"Well... according to this map, that's where the Goblin Kingdom used to be, but who knows what we'll find there now, hehe!" Jake said, throwing the map away.

"Alright guys, this is it! It's time to beat The Lich on its own game!" Finn said. "Hey Jake, you know what time is it?"

"ADVENTURE TIME!"


	11. The Grand Meeting of Ooo's Royalty!

Tale 11: The Grand Meeting of Ooo's Royalty!

"Then Princess Bubblegum and Jake broke into The Fire Palace and freed Billy, but when they were about to jump out The Flame King appeared and attacked them with a fire blast!" Finn said.

"Oh…crab…He did that?" The Flame Princess asked ashamed. "How did you escape from him?"

"It was awesome…I think so…I didn't watched because I thought we were going to die. Hehe!" Jake said.

"Billy called his sword in the last moment and used it to protect us…" Princess Bubblegum said. "Then he told The Flame King to let us go in peace and he accepted. I think he just was worried about you." she said looking at F.P.

"Yeah…I haven't thought much about him…" she replied leaning her chin on her knees and hugging her legs with her arms.

The gang was about to enter the labyrinth, but they realized that as much as they wanted to hurry to save Ooo they all were exhausted. They couldn't know what dangers awaited for them inside it so P.B. proposed to rest this night to regain their strength and energy.

Finn didn't wanted to, because he knew there wasn't time to waste and he kept insisting until F.P. asked him to sit next to her. So Jake brought some wood to make a small fire; everyone sited around it and began to talk about their recent adventures.

"You should pay him a visit, The Fire Palace is close so, why not?" Finn said.

"Nah…I don't feel like doing it." she replied.

"Gunter you should stop eating marshmallows or you're going to get a stomach ache." The Ice King said taking the marshmallow bag away from Gunter.

"You really care about that little guy, don't you?" Finn said looking at The Ice King.

"Well he's been with me for a long time…he's a loyal old friend." He replied. "Right Gunter?"

"Wenk!"

Finn laughed. "You are not that bad…at least when you're not stealing princesses."

"What are you saying? Princess Bubblegum is here, so I have no need to capture her." The Ice King said. "Hey Princess can we consider this our first date?"

"But of course not!" she replied.

"Oh…man…"

Everyone laughed.

"Look L.S.P. is already asleep!" Finn said.

"Yaawwnn" "She must be pretty tired, just like me…" Jake said leaning against Lady's body, who was also asleep already. "See you in the morning bro…"

"Goodnight brother" Finn said. "Hey! P.B. where's Marceline?"

"She said, she had trouble sleeping at night, so she decided to take the guard duty." Princess Bubblegum answered.

"Oh…that's right I tend to forget she's a vampire…" Flame P said.

"Say Flame P…how did you met Marceline?" Finn asked.

"I was looking for shelter under the rain and I entered a cave, she scared me a bit and I tried to attack her but she surprised me by blocking my attacks."

"You tried to attack her?" Finn said laughing. "That could have been dangerous, you know?"

"Yeah! What would have happened if she were in a bad mood?" P.B. said smiling.

"Why do you say that? Is she really that dangerous?" F.P. asked a bit confused.

"Well…she tried to kill Jake and me once." Finn said remembering. "But The Ice King had tried to kill us more than once, hehe, I think that five or six times at least."

"Oh I didn't know they were bad guys." F.P. said.

"Nah…The Ice King it's just a psycho and Marceline is cool, strange, but cool." Finn replied.

"She was very kind with me…she saved my life more than once during our adventure and she was always taking care of me." Flame P replied.

"Yeah…she's always acting rude and she loves tricking people, but she's really soft hearted, which is strange if you ask me; being a vampire and on top of that The Lord of Evil's daughter." Bubblegum said.

"Princess you seem to know her more than anyone…" Finn said. "Did you used to be friends or something?"

"That's none of your business Finn…" P.B. replied. "But I'll tell you something…" she said looking at Flame P. "When I met her I was just a kid and she used to play and take care of me just as you say... whatever happened after that…I rather not talk about it."

"O-okay…" F.P. replied.

"Well we better go to sleep, just like those two." P.B. said pointing The Ice King and Gunter, who were already snoring. "See you later guys," she said making herself comfortable on Lady's back.

"Hey Finn…" F.P. said. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid? About what? The Lich?" He asked.

"Yeah…" she replied.

"Well…I'm not afraid of him, but of what he could do…" Finn answered. "I don't want that my friends get hurt, but…it seems almost impossible…"

"To think that…as we talk…he's already consuming someone's life…" she said in a sad tone. "I hope this ends soon…" she whispered settling her head on Finn's shoulder before falling asleep.

Finn blushed and looked at her, one night he was wishing that she could spend time with him and his friends and the other she was right there; talking and laughing with them and now she was sleeping on his shoulder without burning him.

"It's a shame that things are not normal, like before, without freaks wanting to kill us all…" He said to himself, resting his head on her's.

/

"I'm so bored…why did I had to say guard duty?" Marceline talked to herself watching her friends sleep from over a hill.

She took her axe-bass and began to play a few notes. "Man…I hate feeling lonely, I like being a lone, but I hate feeling lonely…it always reminds of those times…when I was a kid…after that cloud took her away…" she said looking at the full moon high in the night sky.

Marceline got lost in thought, thinking about her past while playing a slow song in her bass.

She heard a weak sound near her. "Get out of here." She said still watching the moon.

"Forgive me for being worried about you…"

"I'm fine…my friends and I can handle this." She replied. "I don't want your help."

"Very well…I'll trust you know what you're getting into Marceline." "This might turn out to be very dangerous…even for you."

She said nothing.

"You where thinking about her didn't you? About your mother…"

"She's not here anymore!" "Go away please!"

"Then…I hope to see you soon…in one piece…"

"Wait!" Marceline turned to see him. "How did you come here?"

"That cursed creature did something to the portal, no matter how hard I tried I couldn't close it. I know what he wants…to release the demons into this world, but don't worry I'm taking care of it." "I just took advantage of this situation to say hello."

"Oh…" She replied.

"Farewell Marceline." He said disappearing into a blue portal.

"Bye dad…"

/

"Hey!"

"Mmmm"

"Hey!" "Kid!"

"I'm sleeping…don't you see…"

"Uhg! Wake up now!"

Finn opened his eyes and covered them with his arm because of the sunlight suddenly hitting them. "Why…I mean…where are you?" He asked still blinded by the sun.

"Over here"

"Huh?" Finn turned around. "B-Billy?" "W-what are you doing here?"

"And what do you think I could be doing here?" replied Billy.

"Gaah! That's right! The Lich! The weapons!" Finn shouted suddenly standing up and making The Flame Princess fall in the process.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" she said angrily for being awakened in that way. "W-who's that?" she asked looking up at Billy.

"I-I'm sorry princess, I forgot you were there." Finn said blushing.

"In fact, he forgot everything." Marceline said arriving to the scene with her big hat on. "Hehe look at you!" she said staring at Billy. "You've changed a lot! Hehe!" "Now I'll call you old frog!"

"And you haven't changed…not even a bit, and I'm not just talking about your appearance." Billy replied annoyed.

"I know froggy, I know…" Marceline said leaning against him with her arms crossed.

"So you've really met him!" Finn said happily.

"Yeah…what? You thought I was lying?" Marceline asked rising an eyebrow. "Why do you guys always think I'm lying?"

"That's because you're always lying." Princess Bubblegum said waking up.

"Well, well, look who has decided to join us!" Marceline replied flying towards her.

"Please don't start Marceline." P.B. begged. "It's too early to argue don't you think so?"

"No." Marceline replied smiling.

"Glob give me patience!" Bubblegum said imploring to the heavens.

"Please kids can we focus on what really matters? Billy said calling their attention. "Let me see if I get this straight…" "This dark creature is also one of your friends?" He asked pointing Marceline with his thumb.

"Does everyone here holds a grudge against me or what?" she asked frowning.

"Marcy please, settle down…" Finn said. "She's with us…she's a friend."

Marceline stuck her tongue out at the old hero.

"Marceline! Show some respect!" Princess Bubblegum said scolding her.

Marceline replied her making a worst gesture with her hand.

"Oh please!"

Billy sighed. _"Now heroes befriend vampires…this really is a crazy world!"_ He thought. "Anyway! I came here to tell you that I found the gauntlet, but it wasn't even in pieces, it was turned into dust!"

"Oops!" Finn replied.

"I picked up the dust and took my sword to The Boneyard Kingdom."

"The Boneyard Kingdom? Why?" Finn asked curious.

"There's an undead blacksmith named Gabha, who specializes in magic and cursed weapons." Billy answered. "I wanted him to reforge Nothung with the cosmic powder, that way my sword will be a cosmic weapon."

"Mathematical!" Finn said excited.

"W-wait did you say Gabha?" Marceline asked.

"Do you know him?" Finn looked at her.

"I used to but, I didn't know he was an undead." She answered concerned. "When I met him he was…human."

"A human…" Finn said. "When did you meet him?"

"Don't make yourself illusions Finn, that was a thousand years ago…when I was a little girl." Marceline replied.

"Oh…"

"Hey what's with all that talking?" L.S.P. said rubbing her eyes. "What did I miss?"

"Billy is here." Finn simply said pointing him.

"What? Billy!" Jake shouted suddenly waking up and stretching to get over there. "I'm your biggest fan did you know that?"

"Yes…" Billy said sighing. "Ok everybody!" "Wake up! Wake up! Get moving!"

"Moving…why? I was dreaming about princesses…beautiful princesses in love with me! Hehehe!" You already know who said standing up.

"I don't understand quite well what's going on, but out there everything's a mess, so I made arrangements to summon The Grand Meeting of Ooo's Royalty." Billy said looking at the gang. "As part of Ooo's royalty you Princess Bubblegum, and you umm…Vampire Queen…"

"It's Marceline!" she replied frowning once more.

"Yeah whatever." The old hero replied. "I expect you to assist…and what about you?" He said looking at F.P. "Is The Fire Kingdom going to be part of the meeting for the first time?"

"Well…Of course!" she answered.

"Hey! What about me?" "I'm also part of Ooo's royalty; I'm The Ice King remember?" "Ruler of The Ice Kingdom!"

"Ice King you've been considered a menace by The Ooo's Royal Congress of Security since the incident in the third Grand Meeting, you're not admitted in it." Princess Bubblegum commented.

"What?" "… Glob…" He replied lowering his head. "No one understands me…"

"My parents will be there as well?" L.S.P. asked.

"Every ruler in Ooo has to be there." Billy answered.

"Fine…let's go then." She replied.

"But we can't keep wasting time!" Finn said. Everyone turned to look at him. "We have to enter the labyrinth!"

"Finn we need to warn everyone, it's important, that way we can save more lives." P.B. said smiling at him.

"Don't worry bro…Billy knows what he's doing." Jake said.

"Yes…you're right…" Finn replied.

"The Royal Congressional Hall is in the Bad Lands, do you know how to get there?" Marceline asked preparing herself to fly.

"Yes." Billy answered.

"Then what are we waiting for?" she said taking off the ground.

/

Royal Congressional Hall, the Bad Lands…

"My people are trapped!" The Slime Princess said.

"Everything was destroyed!" The Engagement Ring Princess said.

"My kingdom vanished!" The Hotdog Princess said.

"The Evil Forest is gone as well as The Wildberry Kingdom!"

"Order! Please people quiet down!" The Turtle Chairman ordered hitting the table with his hammer, but the mess continued. "…"

"We don't know where our daughter is!" The Lumpy Space King and Queen cried.

"Everyone at the library died!" Turtle Princess said terrified.

"I had to runaway into the city of thieves and they stole my crown!" The Raggedy Princess said.

"I said SILENCE!"

Everyone stopped shouting.

"Thank you!" The Turtle Chairman said leaning back on his chair, and then he cleared his throat. "Due to the wave of unexplainable and irrational events that have been occurring during the last hours; the hero, known as Billy The Hero has summoned the rulers of every kingdom in Ooo with exception of The Ice Kingdom according to The Congress of Royal Security decree number 263: "The Ice King is forbidden to enter this hall for being a sociopath." And The Fire Kingdom, which has never sent a representative in Ooo's history."

"All the kingdoms? But Princess Bubblegum is missing!" Breakfast Princess said.

"Please let me finish!" The Turtle continued. "Princess Bubblegum will be here in just a few…."

"Sorry for being late!" Marceline said entering the hall all of a sudden. "Shoot! Did you see the chaos out there? It's like a dream!" She said while taking her place at the table. "What's up Princess princess princess?"

"…minutes…" The Chairman ended sighing.

"Marceline!" Princess Bubblegum said entering the room.

"What!"

"You can't enter like that into The Royal Congressional Hall!"

"Who says so?"

"Courtesy rules say so!"

"I don't give a damn about…!"

"Ladies, ladies please!" The Turtle Chairman said hitting the table with his hammer again. "Glob…"

Princess Bubblegum sat blushing for being scolded, Marceline giggled.

"Well…now that everyone is here…" The Turtle proceeded.

"Wait!" Marceline interrupted once again.

"Now what?" The Chairman asked frowning for being interrupted over and over again.

"You're missing someone!"

"What are you saying? Everyone's here!"

"Not her." Marceline said standing up and walking towards the door. "C'mon don't be shy!"

Everyone leaned forward trying to see better who was Marceline talking to.

The Flame Princess came out slowly blushing a bit. "Hi"

"Well…who is she?" The Turtle Chairman asked.

"She's The Flame Princess!" Marceline said.

"What?" Everyone asked.

"From The Fire Kingdom? … She's very young! …I think she's cute!" The Princesses whispered.

"C'mon you can sit by my side!" Marceline said running towards the table taking her by the hand.

"Hey but? Isn't she a fire elemental?" The Lumpy Space King asked.

"Why is she not burning your hand?" The Lumpy Space Queen asked.

"Oh right!" Princess Bubblegum said. "She's using a magic amulet called The Pyralis Sapphire which prevents her flames from burning."

"Ohhhhhh!" Everyone said understanding.

"Hmmm…okay…so…are we ready to begin now?" The Turtle asked once more.

"Yeah! Sure!" Marceline said.

"Do you mean it?" "No more newcomers or sudden arguments?"

"Yes! Yes! Get started!" she replied loosing her patience.

"All right now…as I was saying, Billy The Hero wanted us to meet today for discussing…"

"Glob! Just say it! The Lich King challenged us to a life or death game!" Marceline interrupted once more.

"WHAT?"

Princess Bubblegum hit her own face with her hand. "Marceline!"

"What? You know it's true!" she replied.

"There are subtler ways to say it!"

"I'm just going straight to the point! There's no time to waste and you know it!"

"W-what's going to happen to us?" Slime Princess asked concerned.

"Nothing…with a bit of luck…" P.B. replied. "That's why we are here, to warn you!"

"We are supposed to gather some sort of magic weapons capable of destroying The Lich to beat him in his own game." Marceline said.

"Finn, Jake and the rest of our friends including Marceline, P.B. and I will play the game." The Flame Princess said. "All you have to do is worry about the safety of your people!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" The Cute King asked.

"Who said that?" F.P. asked searching for him.

"Over here!" The little King said from his seat (a pile of books over a chair.)

"Oh…sorry…" she replied.

"That means that The Lich is consuming every trace of life energy as we speak… Everyone must search for a proper shelter; we'll try to beat him as fast as possible in order to keep you all alive, but we need your cooperation!" Marceline said.

"What's the plan?" Muscle Princess asked.

"Team work!" P.B. said. "We'll need all the kingdoms to work as one, when you notice The Lich's presence in a kingdom you'll have to evacuate to the closest one and help each other providing food and shelter to the refugees."

"Like some kind of…chain?" Wildberry Princess asked.

"That's right!" P.B. answered.

"And what will happen when all the kingdoms get consumed?" Jungle Princess asked.

"That's the thing!" Marceline said. "We'll have to kick The Lich's stupid butt before that happens."

"What if you fail?" Emerald Princess asked.

"Fail's not an option!" Marceline finished hitting the table with her fist. "We are running out of time! Do you agree or not?"

Everyone looked at each other and nodded. "AGREED!"

/

Finn moaned hitting the floor with his foot repeatedly showing impatience. "What's taking them so long?" he asked.

The rest of the gang was waiting outside the hall sitting on a large couch.

"Settle down Finn, this kind of stuff can take some time." Jake said drinking a cup of tea. "Any one wants some sugar?"

"Me please!" The Ice King said creating some ice. "Iced tea! Hehehe!"

"Wenk!"

"What do you mean by "close enough" Gunter?" Ice King replied.

"You know…I've been thinking…" Billy said. "You're going to need all the help you can get."

"So?" L.S.P. replied.

"I'll like to join you, but there's no way I could hold a fight with this old body."

"That's a little obvious, don't you think?" L.S.P. said.

"Do you have something in mind Billy?" Jake asked.

"There's The Fountain of Youth…" He replied.

"Impossible that's a very ancient myth!" Flambo said.

"Do you know about it?" Finn asked looking at him.

"Well…one hears things…in the forest." Flambo replied. "Maybe Choose Goose knows?"

"Then that will be our next destination!" Jake said. "Can you imagine it bro?" "Seeing Billy fight like in the good old days!"

"No bro!" Finn replied slapping his face. "Fighting side by side with the Billy of the good old days!"

"WOWCOWCHOW!" Both shouted jumping.

"Well guys it's done!" Marceline said coming out of the hall.

"What will be our next move?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"We'll go to the forest!" Flambo said.

"Why?" Flame P asked.

"To find The Fountain of Youth!" Finn replied with great enthusiasm.


	12. What Time is it? Dungeon Time!

Tale 12: What time is it? Dungeon Time!

"Well guys…good luck!" L.S.P. said.

"Are you sure of this?" Finn asked.

"Yes, I want to stay with my parents and help them with the evacuation plan…I also miss their sandwiches!"

After the Great Meeting, each princess returned to start the preparations of The Evacuation Chain; Princess Bubblegum's plan to keep everyone save until they defeat The Lich. Before leaving, the princesses wished good luck to Finn and his friends on their mission and offered their help if needed.

The afternoon sun began to melt in the sky, painting it with orange colors. Finn walked towards the window and stared at the sunset wondering if they could really make it before The Lich destroys it all. He was worried about a little fact Billy gave him in The Candy Tavern; "Only true heroes can use the cosmic weapons." What if he didn't had what it takes to become a true hero? He sighed and took off his hat to remove some sweat from his forehead. The weather in the Bad Lands was usually very hot and he hadn't noticed until now.

"Whoa! That's odd! It's the first time I see you without your hat!"

"Huh?" He turned to face the voice behind him but there was nobody there.

"I'm here blondie!" The voice said.

Finn noticed that the voice was now next to him, something that startled him a bit.

"Marceline! You scared me!"

"That's what I do better! Hehe! You know I was beginning to think that your hat was part of your head!"

"I hate taking it off, but sometimes I can't help it!" He was about to put in on again when Marceline snatched it.

"Hey! Give it back!" Finn said jumping and waving his arms trying to reach his hat.

"Give up! I'm taller than you!" she said pushing him away. "And stronger!"

"Marceline it's not funny!" he said trying to reach his hat again.

"What are you saying I'm having a great time!" she replied.

Finn kept struggling to get his hat jumping and chasing Marceline through The Royal Congressional Hall, entering random rooms, closing doors, opening windows, jumping over the tables, throwing papers without caring if they were important or not and breaking stuff (Accidentally…I guess) until the two of them got tired of messing around.

"Here…you won it…huff …huff…fair and square!" Marceline said giving back his hat.

They sat on the floor and leaned their backs against the purple corridor walls trying to catch their breath.

"Huff…huff…keep it…now's too hot to wear it…" Finn said breathing heavily.

Marceline threw the hat into Finn's face abruptly. "Hey! That hurts!" he moaned.

"I don't want to hold that old thing anymore…it stinks!" she replied.

Marceline stared at the window in front of her and noticed that the sun was gone and a fresh wind began to blow. "It was about time…" she whispered as the corridor torches were lighten up.

"Hey!" she said calling Finn's attention. "It's been too long since the last time we made stupid stuff together, don't you think?"

"Yeah! I was missing that feeling…we should do stupid things more frequently!"

"I know but you've been so serious recently…I think that hanging around with Bonnie has affected your brain."

"Do you think something like that is possible?" Finn wondered.

"How should I know?"… "The floor is so cold, this is so refreshing!" she said lying on the floor and putting her arms under her head.

"How can you be so relaxed?" Finn asked watching her.

"I just pretend that I don't care."

"You always seem like you don't care about anything…not even about your life…what do you care about Marcy?

"That's a very deep question for a goofball like you…how old are you?" she said staring at the ceiling. "I think you're growing up too fast."

"I was twelve when we met for the first time, and soon I'll be fourteen!"

"Fourteen? I could swear you were ten or eleven…" she replied.

"You're lying!" Finn laughed.

"No I'm serious! …I can't believe that two years have gone so fast…" she looked at him. "Put that thing on your head already! I feel like I'm talking to another person!"

"Hahaha!" He put his hat on. "You happy now?"

She sat and stared at him. "No."

"W-what?" He asked a bit nervous.

She smiled and pushed his chest to make him fall. "Now I am!" she laughed.

"W-why you!" he said standing up. "You think that's funny?" he shouted lifting his right fist. "How about this?" Finn said pushing her strongly to make her hit the wall.

"Oh you wanna fight?" she smiled. "Then let's fight!" she said hitting him in the face.

"C'mon! That's all you've got?" he laughed while rubbing his hurt cheek with the back of his hand.

"Is that a challenge?" she asked standing up.

"Give me your worst!" he replied standing up also.

"Hyaah!" "Gaah!" "Hahaha!" "An old lady hits harder than you!" "Auch!" "Hey no biting!" That was all that could be heard as they fought and laughed.

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" P.B. said walking towards them, she had a tired look and was now wearing her pajamas and a pink coat over them.

Finn and Marceline were on the floor trying to free themselves from each other's foot lock, groaning and moaning like wild animals. Of course they weren't paying attention to what Bubblegum said. The princess sighted and bended down close to them grabbing each one's shirt and pulling them away from each other.

"Oh Bonnibel! C'mon I had this fight in the bag!"

"P.B.! I was about to beat her!"

"No, you're blocking the entrance to the rest room, that's what you are doing!"

Both looked at her with an annoyed stare. "C'mon guys! You know you should be resting and saving energy for tomorrow's journey." Princess Bubblegum said letting them go.

"Guess you're right…" Finn said. "I had already forgotten about all that…" "Goodnight girls…and thanks for the fight Marcy."

Marceline watched him go and then turned to face Bubblegum with an angry stare. "Well done _princess_!" she said flying away by the window.

"W-what?" "What did I say?" P.B. wondered staying in the corridor by herself.

/

"Hey bro! Where have you been?" Jake asked lying on a bed.

"I was wrestling with Marcy." Finn answered sitting on another bed.

The gang decided to pass the night in the dormitories of The Royal Congressional Hall, that were built for important meetings that lasted more than a week, allowing the representatives from faraway kingdoms to stay and rest there.

Finn and Jake shared a room with two beds and a night table with a small candlelight between them. Jake was about to sleep when Finn arrived.

"That sounds like fun!" Jake replied. "But why I don't see you as energetic as before?" "Are you feeling okay buddy?"

"I don't know Jake…" Finn answered throwing himself into the bed. "All this life or death situation has affected me I guess…I feel so worried. I thought that adventures were supposed to be fun but this is so… not funny, this is terrifying!"

Jake jumped onto Finn's bed so they could talk better. "But that's exactly what heroes do!" "They overcome their fears and battle till the last one falls!" Jake said imitating battle sounds and jumping from one bed to another.

Finn sighed. "I don't know what's wrong with me brother…maybe I'm not qualified to be a hero…maybe I'm a joke." He said covering his face with his pillow.

"You know Finn…" Jake began to say. "I think you are right…you are a joke!"

That wasn't the kind of response Finn was waiting to hear. "What?"

"You-are-a-joke!"

"Why are you saying that? What's wrong with you?" Finn asked worriedly.

"Joke, joke, joke, you're like a crying baby's butt!" Jake said jumping on his bed.

"Jake stop it!" "You're making me angry!" Finn said rising his fist.

"Finally!" Jake said. "Dad's method always works!"

"Huh?" Finn was confused.

"I was just repeating everything you said and you got mad at me because you didn't like it!" "That means that the real you doesn't like your attitude and you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you're not like that!" Jake replied. "Maybe you're just confused."

"Confused? But I have always been sure of myself…" Finn said starting to understand what was happening to him.

"Don't worry…it's normal. You're probably just going through puberty, it's part of growing up!" Jake said sitting by Finn's side.

"Yeah! Maybe that's it! I guess Marcy was trying to say the same thing to me!" Finn said feeling relieved.

"Marceline? She was advising you?" "Hehehe! You must have been in a terrible state to make that vampire worry about you!"

"Hehehe! Right I feel kind of stupid now…" Finn said lying back on the bed. "You know what Jake?"

"What bro?"

"Puberty sucks!"

"Hehehe! My little brother is growing!"

"Oh shut it!"

/

"Morning guys! The adventure is waiting for us! Hehehe!" The Ice King shouted entering to Finn and Jake's room.

"Ugh! Who let him in?" Jake said covering his face with a blanket.

"Finn! Jake! Wake up! Gunter and I made some delicious waffles!" The Ice King replied.

"Wenk!" Gunter said holding two plates full of waffles.

"Ice King it's too early to…" Finn was about to reply when The Ice King interrupted.

"The girls are already awake and are having breakfast in this moment, so you'd better dress up fast!"

"Oh Glob…" Finn said. "Okay, okay, we are coming…"

"Great I'll go tell them!" The Ice King said running down stairs followed by Gunter who was still carrying the waffle plates.

"Gahhhg! I'm so tired…" Finn said falling on the bed again. Jake replied with a snore.

/

"C'mon! Are you telling me that you don't have something eatable like strawberries, apples…I don't know something red?" Marceline asked sitting on the table.

"There was strawberry jam yesterday but L.S.P. took it for her sandwiches." P.B. said drinking her coffee.

"Great! What a way to start the day!" Marceline complained.

"Well…I saw ketchup in the kitchen…" Flambo said while burning his waffles.

"Finally!" Marceline said standing up. "I'll go get it! Thanks little guy!"

"No problem!" Flambo replied.

Marceline ran through the hall without watching her step and bumped into The Ice King and Gunter, making the last one drop his waffle plates.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! Psycho!" The Ice King shouted standing up while waving his fist.

"Wenk!" Gunter said angrily.

"Sorry guys! I'm sorry!" she said getting away from them.

"Wenk…" Gunter said lifting the waffles from the floor.

"Oh…Hey! Princess Bubblegum!" Flame P said reading the newspaper. "Here's something about The Candy Kingdom!"

"Really? I hope is not bad news…." She said sitting next to F.P. "Let's see…"

"Due to the bla-bla-bla Lich King in-bla-bla…The people of The Candy Kingdom has concentrated in the local graveyard area hoping to be safe although some of the citizens fear that a third zombie invasion could occur at any moment. Experts rejected this possibility pointing out that the other two zombie invasions were provoked by Princess Bubblegum's fault and she's out of the kingdom, making it impossible to happen again."

"Hahaha! You provoked two zombie invasions in your own kingdom? Hahaha!" Marceline said returning from the kitchen with the ketchup in her hands. "What a jerk!"

"Why are you calling me jerk? I did it in the name of science!" P.B. replied frowning.

"Dealing with death has nothing to do with science princess, the nature of death can only be manipulated by black magic and necromancers…like me." Marceline said while looking at her nails and then proceeded to clean them by rubbing them against her chest.

"Thanks for the tip, Marceline!" P.B. said sarcastically.

"Your welcome…oh! And talking about jerks…I found this two on my way to the kitchen." She said pointing Finn and Jake who were still sleepy.

"Sorry for the delay my bed fell in love with me and didn't want me to go." Jake said sitting at the table.

"Good morning everyone!" Finn said doing the same thing. "Where are the waffles you said Ice King? I'm starving!"

"Over there." The King said pointing the floor where Gunter still held a waffle in his wings.

"Wenk." Gunter said offering Finn the only waffle that "survived" the accident.

"What the?"

"Don't look at me! This is all her fault!" The Ice King replied.

"Hehe!" Marceline laughed. "Well this wouldn't have happened if you had arrived ealier!" "Mmmm…Do you want some ketchup?"

"No thanks…"

/

"Don't worry guys with my super nose I can track any scent! Sniff…sniff…bleagh! I found Choose Goose's scent!" Jake said being held by The Flame Princess in the sky. "We'll be there in short!"

"Well done Jake!" Finn said from Lady's back accompanied by Princess Bubblegum and Billy.

"Hehe! Practice your rhymes or Choose Goose won't help us otherwise!" "I don't know if that rhymes!" Jake said.

"Oh! Oh! I'm good for rhymes!" Marceline said flying by their side. "My mom and I used to make up some silly ones, at times!"

"Cat, cat, cat

Don't jump out!

If you do

You will spout!

Rat, rat, rat

Don't go down!

If you do

You will drown!"

"Hehehe! Let me try! Let me try!" The Ice King said flying behind them.

/

"Things sure are boring around here!" Choose Goose said sitting in his stand table. I'd wish someone come and give me cheer!"

"Choose Goose!" Finn shouted from afar.

"What's that?" "I think I just heard a brat!"

The gang landed in the forest and sighted in relief noticing that nothing wrong had happened in there. Everything was on its place. The flowers colored the landscape, the wind blew softly in the fields, the birds sang and the animals wandered peacefully under the warm sunlight.

"This must be some kind of miracle!" Princess Bubblegum said getting off from Lady Rainicorn's back.

"This place is full of flowers!" Flame P said landing. "Look at all those colors!"

Marceline landed close to her. "Careful guys! I have a bad feeling…"

"Oh! Please Marceline! Don't blow it!" P.B. replied.

"I just think this is strange."

"Maybe things aren't as bad as we thought!" Jake said.

"Yeah…maybe…" she replied with a dull voice.

"What! C'mon Choose Goose! You've got to help us!" Finn yelled.

Everyone turned to see what was happening.

"No, no, it's the rules!" "You want something from me? The you must pay for it, don't be fools!"

"Even if we are asking you for information?" Flambo asked.

"Of course! What is it? Don't you have any education?" Choose Goose replied.

"What is it that you want?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"I want something cool like that girl's axe!"

"What! No way! You can't have it!" Marceline said hugging her bass.

"What's wrong with that duck?" Flame P asked looking at Finn.

"He likes to trade weird things, I don't know he's a very random guy.

"Don't you prefer this cute little penguin?" The Ice King said holding Gunter.

"Wenk!"

"No, I don't like birds!"

"But you're a bird!" Jake replied. "Aren't you interested in something else?

"If I can't have that axe, then give me that hat!"

"What's your problem with me duck? I can't give you this hat I need it to block the sun rays!" Marceline said holding it against her head.

"Then let's make a deal, you give me the hat and I'll give you the information you want and this…special mirror!"

"I'm not giving you my hat I need it! And what can I do with that stupid mirror? Vampires don't have reflection!"

"Isn't there other thing that we can offer you?" Flame P asked.

"Now that you say it, my girl, yes!" The goose said. "I want your necklace!" "That's my last request!"

"Hey! I can't give this to you! It's very important!" F.P. replied.

"Well that's too bad I guess that…"

"Wait!" Marceline said. "Okay you can have my hat." She said taking it off. "Finn can I hide in your backpack?"

"Sure Marcy! Come in!" he said opening it.

Marceline turned into a small bat and flew inside. "Gross! Finn! You could clean this thing you know?" "This sandwich must have been here for weeks!" she said tossing it out.

"Sorry?" Finn said. "I wasn't expecting guests in my bag."

"Whatever!" The bat said from inside. "Flame P I want you to take care of my axe-bass! I'm counting on you!"

"Don't worry I know how much you care about it." F.P. replied passing the axe's belt over her shoulder.

"Hehe! Now that I have a nice hat can you tell me that I'm cute?" Choose Goose said putting Marceline's hat over his hat.

"No." Jake said. "Listen we are running out of time here and we really need to find The Fountain of Youth, so hurry up and tell us!"

"If the fountain is what you want, then you must visit the place where you saved an ant."

"What the heck does that means?" Marceline's head popped out from Finn's bag.

"The place where we saved an ant?" Finn repeated rubbing his chin.

"Give us another clue!" Flame P said.

"I'll give you one last clue, but only for you!" "Oh beautiful youth so fast you go! If you really wanna keep her, you must ask the Keeper!"

"Keeper, keeper, keeper…" Jake thought. "Haha! I got it!" he said snapping his fingers. "You're talking about Key-per!"

"Key-per?" Finn said. "Oh! Of course!" He said grabbing Flame P's shoulders. "The Fountain of Youth must be hidden somewhere in Mount Cragdor!"

"Mount…Cragdor?" she asked looking at him.

"Hehehe! Yes! All we have to do know is go there and ask them to give us the fountain! This is going to be easy as childbirth!"

"Huh?"

"C'mon Flame P! Let's go tell the others!" he said taking her by the hand and began running. "Jake, don't stay behind!"

"I'm coming bro!"

"Hey Finn! Slow it down! Remember that you're carrying me in your backpack!"

"Sorry Marcy! But I can't slow it down!" "I too excited!"

"Hehe! We can see that!" F.P. replied running by his side.

"It's good to see you regained your spirit brother!"

"Billy! We know where the fountain is! Let's hurry to Mount Cragdor!" Finn said arriving where Lady and Billy waited and stopping to catch some breath.

"Mount Cragdor? The place where the heroes' skills are tested?" Billy asked.

"Yeah we've been there!" Jake said. "Just follow me and I'll take you there!"

"I don't think that repeating the same word at the end of the sentence can be considered as a rhyme." Princess Bubblegum said smiling.

"Who cares!" "Hurry guys this bag stinks! I'd rather be smelling a zombie's dirty butt!"

"Wenk!"

"Gunter's right vampire, that was gross!"

/

"Do you see that mountain surrounded by a stonewall?" Finn said looking at F.P. "That's Mount Cragdor!"

"Whoa! It's huge!" "Do you really think that finding the fountain will be easy?"

"Well maybe…we know the guardians of this place, I'm sure they'll help us!"

"Tada da da!" "Arriving to Mount Cragdor's gate! Those of you who are traveling on the beautiful Rainicorn remain sited please! Individual flyers watch your landing!" "Here's Captain Jake reporting; Cragdor's weather is ideal for having adventures and fighting monsters, we hope you enjoy your journey, thanks for choosing Magic Dog airlines!"

"Now what? How do we enter?" The Ice King asked pointing the huge wooden door.

"We just have to knock." Finn replied crossing the small bridge. "Toc, toc!"

A small window opened and a round yellow face appeared behind it.

"Who's there?"

"It's me!" "Finn!"

"And Jake!"

"Oh! Hoho! The young heroes-to-be from the last time!" "Give me a sec!"

He closed the window and after a few minutes he threw himself into the air using a catapult, flew over the gate and crashed in the ground.

"Oh! Glob! Is he okay?" Princess Bubblegum asked running to aid him.

"Nah, nah, don't worry about me! For I do this all the time!" the small man said standing up.

"Are you Key-per?" Flame P asked.

"That's right milady at your service!" he replied bowing.

"Hey Key-per! Can you help us?" "We are looking for The Fountain of Youth." Finn said.

"Oh! Hehe! So now you're coming for the second test! Very well I'll open the gate for you!" "Give me a hand Mr." Key-per said looking at The Ice King. "Introduce my head into the key hole please!"

"Huh? Hehe! I get it now! You're the key! Hehe I'm so smart!"

"Wenk!"

"What? I don't think it's that obvious."

"Wait! Second test? Can't you just give it to us? We are in a hurry!" Jake said.

"nmnmnnmmnnmm"

"What?"

"Pull him out from the key hole!" P.B. ordered.

"What? Oh! Yes that's right!" The Ice King said holding Key-per.

"I said that Mount Cragdor's purpose is to test the hearts who seek to posses the treasures hidden within it." "We can't just give it to anyone who comes asking for it! You must prove you're worthy of obtaining it!"

"It's never going to be easy, right?" Marceline complained from inside the bag.

"C'mon kids! Let's do this!" Billy said walking through the gate.

The gang followed him and soon they found themselves in the forest where a Minotaur sited at a picnic table.

"Hoho! Look who's back! Are you coming for the second test guys?" the Minotaur said. "I see this time you brought more friends with you! How you doing Princess Bubblegum?"

"Hi!" she replied happily.

"What's up Mannish man?" Jake said.

"We came for The Fountain of Youth! Tell us how to get it please! We need to- "

"Don't worry Finn I heard the news, it will be an honor to help such righteous heroes!"

"Then you'll give us the fountain?" The Ice King asked.

"Well no, I can't do that, but I'll take you to where the trials are."

They followed Mannish inside the tower; he conducted them into a secret passage down stairs. It was very dark and the corridor walls were lightened with torches. The Minotaur suddenly stopped in front of a metal door with a golden cup symbol in it.

"Inside this room you'll find three challenges, of course each one more difficult than the other, beat them and you'll get The Fountain of Youth."

"Three challenges…we can do this!" Finn said looking at the gang. "Let's work together!"

"Yeah! We are a team now!" Jake replied entering the door.

"I'm finally part of something!" "I think I'm going to cry!"

"C'mon old man!" "There's no time for that!" The small bat in Finn's bag replied.

"Wenk!"

"Hey Gunter!" Flame P said bending down to pat his head. "You should stay here with Mannish, it could get really dangerous in there for you little guy."

"Wenk?"

"Don't worry I'm not a bad guy!" The Minotaur replied. "Let's have some spaghetti! While they are in there we can watch them with my magical viewing globe!"

"I'll stay here too!" Flambo decided.

"Wait a second Mannish!" Finn said stopping but still running at the same place. "What kind of challenges are we going to face?"

"Hehe! Don't worry everything is explained in the Enchiridion!"

"T-the! T-he! Enchiridion?"

"Yeah! Chapter 17: Getting The Fountain of Youth!" "Go ahead look for it, it's not cheating!"

"Hehehe! Well…the problem is…"

"This boy gave away the Enchiridion to a bear and now The Lich has it!" Jake finished.

"You did what!"

"Well…I had pretty much the same reaction…" Princess Bubblegum said glancing at Finn.

"That's too bad! Now the only advice I can give you is…don't die."

"Great! Will try not to!" Marceline replied sarcastically.

"Marcy what are you doing still in there?" "Here's dark enough for you to come out!" Finn said turning his head back to see her.

"Nah…I got used to the stink. I prefer to be carried you know?"

"But you don't even have to walk, you float!" P.B. replied.

"So what Princess?"

"Forget it! Let's get in there!"

…..

"This place it's not that bad…" The Ice King said looking around.

"Careful don't get overconfident, this places are always full of tricks." Billy said walking in front of them.

They kept walking for a while and soon the surroundings became pretty humid.

"Auch! Fudge! There's water on the floor!" Flame P said jumping backwards, her feet were releasing some smoke.

"No problem!" Jake said stretching his body to become bigger. "Get over here princess I'll carry you!"

"Don't you think that this sudden change in the environment is weird?" Bubblegum wondered.

"Sniff…sniff…Eww! It stinks here!" Jake said.

"Oh…sorry!"

"Sniff…sniff…Not you old man! Sniff..sniff…this scent reminds me of the haunted swamp." Marceline said.

"Let's slow our pace." Billy suggested.

"Right!" Finn nodded.

The team continued walking until they reached an open area in the stone corridor resembling a round room with two doors; the one they entered by and one at the end of it. This one was closed.

They entered the room and when the last one passed, the door suddenly closed behind them.

"I knew something like this would happen…" Finn said sighing. Everyone nodded.

"Aaa! Now we're trapped in this stinky place!" The Ice King said angrily.

"Hmmm…guys…" Marceline began talking. "Remember I told you I had a bad feeling earlier?"

"Yes?"

"Well it's bothering me again…"

"Let's stay calm, there's probably some kind of switch to open the doors hidden somewhere…" Jake said making his way to the center of the room when something sticky fell on his face. "Gross…"

"The let's start searching for i- Aww! Yuck!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed when a huge amount of slime fell over her.

"Hehehe! Cool!" Marceline said flying out of Finn's backpack still in her bat form. "Don't worry Bonnibel I heard slime is very good for the skin." "Huh?"

"What is it? Have you run out of jokes?" P.B. replied sarcastically.

"Don't worry about that I still have a bunch under my sleeve made specially for you!" "It's just that I heard something…" "Over there…no…up!"

Everyone looked at the ceiling and jumped startled.

"Slime monster at 12!" Jake shouted.

"Quick everyone out of the way!" Billy said jumping backwards.

The monster let himself fall and landed on the floor splashing water and slime everywhere.

"Great! Now I'll have to bath again!" Finn said annoyed.

The monster began to crawl towards them considerably fast.

"Be careful not to get swallowed by-!" Billy tried to warn them.

"Hehehe! Too late!" The Ice King said inside the monster. "Wait why am I laughing? Get me out of here!"

"Cutting time!" Finn said taking out his sword and charging against the monster. "Take this!"

He slashed the monster's body but he only managed to splash his face with more slime. "C'mon!" He said slashing it repeatedly obtaining the same result.

"No Finn! Can't you see it isn't working!" Princess Bubblegum shouted.

"Any suggestions?" He asked making a backflip to return where he was.

"Let's analyze the situation…" P.B. began. "We can't use any type of direct hits because his body will absorb them due to his gooey composition, cutting him won't work also…"

"So?" Marceline asked flying by their side.

"If we could turn his physical composition into a solid state, we could harm it. Maybe by freezing his body!"

"Great! Promblem is…" Finn said.

"That old fool is trapped inside that thing!" Marceline replied.

"The only option left is to pull The Ice King out of it!" Billy said.

"Whoa! Watch out Guys!" Flame P shouted pointing the monster, which began to press its body down, and then expanded it to jump over them.

"It's too late!" Bubblegum screamed. "He's going to crush us!"

"No he won't!" Marceline shouted turning into a giant bat.

She used one of the walls to impulse herself against the monster pushing him away from her friends in the air. Both landed hard and splashed a huge amount of water.

"I'll cover you Flame P!" Jake said stretching his head over her.

"Thanks Jake I owe you one!"

"Aghh! Guys!" Marceline said holding the monster with a fierce embrace. "This thing is slipping away!" "Hurry up and do something!"

"Okay, okay, hmmm…" Finn said trying to come up with a plan. "Jake!"

"Yes sir?"

"Use your body to pull The Ice King out!" "We need him!"

"Roger sir!"

Jake began to stretch and entered inside the monster. "This is disgusting!"

"Here I am!" "Take me out!" The Ice King yelled.

Jake surrounded him with his body as tight as he could. "Bleah! At least let me breathe!"

"Shut it Ice King!" "I need to focus!"

"Now pull him out!" Finn ordered.

"Yeaarrgh! Guys! We have a problem here!" Jake said trying to get out. "He's absorbing me!"

"Its slime is covering my body! He's absorbing me too!" Marceline shouted holding on to the floor with the claws on her feet leaving marks on it as she was being dragged in.

"Shoot!" Finn exclaimed.

"Quick! Let's help him out!" Bubblegum said grabbing Jake's body.

Finn, Billy and Flame P did the same.

"Ready!" Finn said.

"One!" P.B. said

"Two!" Flame P replied.

"THREE!" Everyone yelled at the same time.

"Pull!" "Use your strength!" Billy ordered.

Flame P began to fly backwards making a huge effort to pull Jake out.

"Guys!" "It's working!" Finn said.

"Whoa! My body is too tight! Don't even think about letting me go or we are going to be-!"

"Oh CRAB!" Finn shouted while slipping because of the slime in the floor, making everyone behind him loose balance and fall.

Jake's body immediately retracted pulling the whole gang inside the monster.

"WHOAAA!"

"Perfect! Now what!" Marceline said finally being absorbed.

"Guys...I think I'm going to throw up!" The Ice King said holding his stomach.

"Great! Just don't do it inside here!" Princess Bubblegum said disgusted.

"I'm sorry guys! I slipped!" Finn said smiling nervously.

"Can't The Ice King freeze him from the inside?" Marceline asked.

"No, he'll freeze us too!" P.B. replied.

"I know!" Finn said. "Let's beat him from the inside!" "Jake grow!"

"Brilliant Finn!" Princess Bubblegum said.

"Hehe! What can I say? I'm in my element!"

"Growing! Growing!" "Hey this guy is also stretching!"

"We have to make him reach his limit!" Billy said. "Grow more!"

"I'm trying!" Jake said.

"Demon time!" Marceline shouted transforming into her giant tentacle monster form.

The slime monster's body began to grow and grow in an exaggerated size and speed covering almost the entire room, until the pressure was too much for him, finally exploding into a wave of sticky, stinky slime.

Everyone laid on the floor bathed in…you already know what, Jake and Marceline returned to their normal forms.

"Ugh!" "Not even after bathing a thousand times I will be able to remove all of this!" Princess Bubblegum complained.

"Waaa! I opened my mouth and swallowed a bunch of this!" The Ice King cried.

"Hahaha!" Finn laughed standing up. "We did it! We did it!"

The door on the backside of the room unlocked itself.

"Yeah! Wohoo!" Marceline exclaimed taking Finn and Flame P by their hands to make a circle and started dancing in the goo. "We did it!" We did it!"

Princess Bubblegum and the rest decided to forget about being covered by slime and joined them in the "We did it" dance, laughing and singing happily.

Two Trials Left! Will the team of heroes-to-be manage to overcome them? Don't miss the next exciting tale!


	13. The Hero Reborn!

Tale 13: The hero reborn!

"Hehehe! Pretty good! These guys surely know to kick butts using their heads!" Mannish said watching them with his magical viewing globe. "Let's see how they handle the next one!"

"Hohoho! This is going to be very exciting!" Key-per replied.

"Wenk!"

"Oh Glob…I think this one isn't going to be so easy! Careful there guys!" Flambo said putting his hands around his mouth to make his voice louder although he knew they couldn't hear him.

Once they passed through the unlocked door the group of heroes-to-be found themselves walking into another large corridor. The sound of their footsteps was the only thing that could be heard as they made their way into the darkness. Finn wondered what kind of trial would be waiting for them next, hoping that they could be on their way to the labyrinth soon.

"Stop poking me Marceline! You're all sticky!" Princess Bubblegum moaned on the back of the line with a certain vampire to her side.

"You're covered with slime too! And besides, I just want to ask you something!"

P.B. sighed. "What is it?"

"What kind of jewels are used to repel The Lich's mental control?"

"Hmmm? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"

Marceline glanced at her.

"What? You're not answering?" "You've been acting pretty strange lately, did you know that?"

"It's because I'm sensing that something…is going to happen…" Princess Bubblegum's expression changed gravely.

"C'mon Marceline! Don't try to scare me! It's not going to work!" P.B. replied nervously.

"You asked…" Marceline said walking faster to reach the rest of the group.

"Wait…are you serious?" "Hey! Don't leave me behind!" Bubblegum yelled running behind the vampire.

/

"…So that's why you can't kill a roach with an encyclopedia…"

"Wow Jake that's really creepy!"

"I know bro but it's not as creepy as the time when Beemo fell in the-" Jake stooped abruptly.

"W-what is it?" Flame P asked.

"Guys…look at this place…"

The second room was a large chamber, every wall was covered with different kinds of mirror, the ceiling and the floor where also made of glass.

"M-Mathematical! Look at all this mirrors!" Finn said entering the room.

"What kind of trick could this be?" Billy wondered looking at his reflection.

"Hehehe! Look at me! I'm a giant!" The Ice King said standing in front of big mirror. "And know I'm small like a little Gunter hehehe!" he said bending down.

"Yes this is weird! But-"

"It's hilarious bro! Watch my body now I am a noodle!"

"Jake I've seen you turn into a noodle before." Finn replied.

"Hey guys stop playing with the mirrors!" Princess Bubblegum said arriving into the room. "Remember we are taking a test, this could be some sort of trap!"

"Aww…but this is so funny!" Jake replied looking himself into another mirror.

"Funny? This is boring…" Marceline said crossing her arms.

"You're just jealous because you've got no reflection Marcy!"

"Quit it Finn! That's not…" She opened her eyes widely in astonishment. "Finn…" she pointed him with her finger. "H-how…did you get in there?"

"What do you mean? I haven't gone anywhe- Yaaaakkk! I'M INSIDE THE MIRROR!" he shouted in fear looking at his body.

"Finn!" Jake said trying to reach him. "Oh crab!" I'm also inside a mirror!"

"What's going on here?" Flame P asked looking at her reflection. "Ah! That must be it!" she exclaimed noticing how her reflection was vanishing slowly from the mirror. "We are becoming the reflection! Don't look into the mirrors!"

"Agh! I should have known!" Billy said as his reflection almost disappeared. "That cursed witch! Odraz!"

"Haw haw haw! Impresive old man! You managed to recognize me after so long!" A translucent female figure said floating outside one of the mirrors. "I'm Odraz! The witch of reflection! And now that you've been reflecting yourselves in my mirrors your bodies belong to me!"

"That's crazy! How can you take away our bodies?" Flame P said turning on her flames.

"Hehehe! As you said later my dear, you are becoming the reflection in the mirror…look at you, once your image vanishes completely you'll be trapped inside the mirror and I will have total control over your body!"

"What?" Finn yelled angrily hitting the glass with his fists.

"I'm just a reflection without a body hehe…I need to survive on something you know?"

"Well I don't care about your survival! Release me now or I'll turn your mirrors into pieces!" The Ice King shouted.

"Haw, haw, haw!" Odraz laughed maniacally. "It's too late! Don't you see? All your bodies belong to me now!"

"Oh really?" Marceline said trying to hit her in the face, but she passed right through her without making any damage. "What the? Are you a ghost or something?" she asked trying to get back her balance standing on one foot.

"You!" The witch yelled. "Why aren't you trapped inside a mirror?"

"Try to guess! I'm a vampire jerk! Vampires have no reflection!" Marceline said grinning wickedly.

"Impossible!" "The last vampire on Earth died a thousand years ago!"

"Hehe…I know…. I personally killed him." Marceline replied with a grim glance.

Odraz hissed impatiently and charge against her passing right through her body. Marceline covered herself instinctively and turned to look at the witch entering the mirror with Princess Bubblegum's image within it.

"What the math!" Finn exclaimed watching how a P.B. with an evil stare came out from the same mirror.

"Oh Glob! She looks just like me!" Bubblegum yelled.

"Now that I posses a physical body, let's see how you fight, shall we?" Odraz said walking towards Marceline.

"Physical body you said?" "Well I can take advantage from that you know!" Marceline charged against her and punched her face hardly, sending the witch against a wall. "What do you think about that?"

"Agghh!" Princess Bubblegum groaned from her mirror covering her mouth with her hand. "That really hurt I'm bleeding!" "W-what the cabbage happened?"

Marceline turned to look at her startled. "W-why?" "What does this means!" she grunted fiercely.

"Haw haw haw!" Odraz laughed standing up while cleaning the blood from her face with the back of her hand. "I told you didn't I? I posses the bodies of your friends, hurt me and you'll hurt them! Kill me and you'll kill them!"

"Holy crab! This is serious! Jake we've got to do something!" Finn said desperately.

"B-but? What can we do? We are trapped!"

"There's got to be a way!" Billy shouted from his mirror. "There's always a way!"

"_My reflection almost vanishes! I've got to think in something!"_ Flame P thought to herself while watching the fight._ "We've got to free them from the mirrors, but how?"… _ "Got it! Marceline! Grab this!" she shouted throwing the axe-bass at her before she became part of the mirror.

"Right!" Marceline answered catching it without problem.

"What are you planning to do with that?" Odraz asked sarcastically. "You can't break the mirrors to save them! If you do that, you'll vanish them from this world!" "Or perhaps you are willing to kill your friends?"

Marceline grinned. "Hey! Bonnibel! Forgive me for what I'm about to do!"

"WHAT THE-?" P.B. shouted terrified.

"Marceline what are you GOING TO DO?" Finn asked completely disconcerted. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?"

"I knew she was a cold-blooded killer!" Jake said covering his eyes.

Marceline held the axe with both hands and ran at high speed towards the witch.

"S-she can't be serious!" Odraz said to herself.

"Get ready!" Marceline said preparing to hit her. "Here I come!"

"I can't watch this!" Jake said turning away his face.

"Yes people! There will be blood!" The Ice King said unbelievably happy. "Wait! You can't kill her! She's my number one!" he corrected realizing about what he just said.

Marceline was only centimeters away from Odraz. "Bu-but you'll kill your friend!" the witch yelled paralyzed with fear.

"See – if – I - care!" Marceline shouted while jumping over her, the axe-bass in position to cut her in half.

"MARCELINE STOP!" Finn screamed not believing what was about to happen.

"Damn you!" Odraz yelled entering Finn's mirror only seconds before the sharp edge of the axe reached her body.

The glass on the floor broke into pieces at the instant Marceline's weapon crashed against it with a great amount of strength. "Huff…huff…I…missed…hehe!" the vampire said looking at the mirror.

Princess Bubblegum's eyes were wide opened just like her jaw. "S-she re-really…went in for the kill…" she said before passing out.

"Don't you care about your friend's life?" Odraz asked angrily this time using Finn's body.

"No I don't…hehe…I'm evil you know?" Marceline replied wickedly. "Use whoever's body you like, it won't make any difference!" she said preparing her axe once more.

"You are insane!" the witch said taking out the Demon's blood sword.

"Come here I'm waiting for you!" the vampire taunted her.

Odraz attacked her using the sword, but Marceline blocked her moves swiftly dodging her blows and using her axe as a shield. "You know…slashing the air randomly it's not even close to the proper way of using a sword." Marceline commented flying behind her.

"Shut up!" Odraz yelled turning around to hit her but Marceline disappeared from the place instantly causing the witch to break another empty mirror with the sword.

"My, my…you surely are stupid…" Marceline said sitting in the air right above Odraz's head.

"You bitc-!" Odraz yelled furiously throwing the sword against Marceline.

"Whoa! Hey! What's up with the language? Kids watch this you know?" Marceline taunted her dodging the sword, which destroyed the crystal ceiling as well.

"ENOUGH!" the witch cried raging against Flame P's mirror. "Now I'll finish you!" she said increasing the heat of her flames.

"Hehe…finally…was it hard to figure out what fighting seriously means?"

"Grrrrr! I'll show you what happens when you mess with the mighty Odraz!" she yelled turning into a giant fire being.

"Crab this place is like being inside an oven!" Jake shouted covered in sweat.

"This is bad…this is so…. bad!" Finn complained watching Marceline fight with Odraz destroying carelessly almost every mirror in the chamber. "Don't you dare to kill Flame Princess! You hear me! Marceline!"

"Shut up Finn! You can't give me orders!" the vampire replied dodging a fireball. "Oh…there goes another mirror…" "Seriously Odraz is it possible to be so stupid?" "I already won this fight, it's over."

"What do you mean? I'm only warming up!" "Or are you getting tired?"

Marceline landed on the floor calmly. "Look around witch…you've destroyed every single empty mirror in here."

"Huh?" Odraz exclaimed lowering her flames. "WHAT THE-?" "What have I done?"

"Showing me how to beat you! That's what you've done!" Marceline replied holding her axe-bass. "Thanks Flame P, I couldn't have done it without you!" The fire elemental nodded with a friendly smile.

"What? What did I miss?" The Ice King asked placing his face against his mirror's surface.

"Now I know which mirror I have to destroy…" Marceline grinned one last time pointing the wall behind Odraz. "That one…"

"H-how do you? How did you know about my mirror?" the witch asked nervously.

"I understood it when you told me not to break the mirrors where my friends are trapped. At that time I wanted to release them by destroying the mirrors, but when you interfered I realized that since you are nothing but a reflection without body you must had your own mirror, which if destroyed will vanish you away." Marceline leaned against a wall with her arms crossed. "The worst part is that you confirmed my suspicion by defending that mirror secretly as we fought."

"Hehe how clever of you…" Odraz said whispering. "But you must also know that I won't let you beat me, in fact you must have already guessed that, because of me being a reflection without body and you a body without reflection, I'm forced to steal your body to survive!"

"What?"

"Prepare yourself!" The witch yelled switching to The Ice King's mirror.

"Oh! Shi-!" Marceline tried to fly away but her legs were frozen on the ground.

Marceline turned to face Odraz growling and showing her fangs in a threatening manner.

"Make all the fuss you want, there's no escape!" Odraz said leaving The Ice King's body behind to charge against the vampire.

"Quick Marceline! She's going to get you!" Flame P shouted at her.

Marceline reacted turning into a giant bat to break free from the ice and dodged the witch using her wings.

"I didn't know she could do that!" Odraz laughed. "Okay let's get rude then!"

She entered into Jake's mirror and once inside his body she used his stretching powers to catch the bat and squeeze her, violently crashing her body against the walls over and over again. "Hehe! How does it feel to be hopeless?"

Marceline replied her with a furious growl.

"Oh you want to get loud? Let's see how loud can you scream when I break your wings!"

Odraz tightened her grip on the bat's body making Marceline screech in pain. "Haw haw haw!" "Now I got you where I wanted!" "Your body is mine!"

"I…won't…let…you!" Marceline shouted before sinking her fangs into Jake's body, forcing the witch to release her.

"Awwwuwwwuww! Marceline bit me!" Jake moaned rubbing the mark that appeared in his arm.

Marceline returned to her normal form and fell onto the ground gasping desperately for air.

"I'll make you pay for this!" Odraz yelled charging once more against her, but when she was about to reach her, Marceline rolled away dodging the witch to make her crash into her mirror.

"Tell me Odraz…" Marceline said grabbing her axe-bass from the floor. "How does it feel to be _hopeless?_"

"No, don't you dare to-!"

"Disappear!" Marceline shouted quickly hitting the glass with her weapon, making it explode along with the ones where the gang was trapped into a million pieces falling on the ground.

"NOOOOOOO!" Odraz's voice faded away.

Marceline dropped the bass and bended her body to catch her breath, some drops of blood and sweat fell from her forehead onto the ground.

"Wow…she did it…" Billy said looking at her.

"Marceline!" Flame P jumped over her causing both to collapse on the floor. "That was awesome! I mean, you were really cool!"

"Flame P…please…I need to breathe…" Marceline replied sticking her tongue out.

"Flame Princess, be careful she's!" Jake tried to warn her.

"She's not evil Jake, she was just pretending." F.P. said sitting beside the vampire.

"But she almost kills Bubblegum!" Finn replied confused.

"Please…even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to kill Bonnie…I would never hurt you guys, c'mon we've been together for too long! How can you lose your faith in me?"

"You bit my arm…" Jake replied.

"Hehe sorry! I had to find a way to free myself!" "Don't worry Jake, that bite won't kill you." Marceline said smiling.

"A-are you okay Marcy?" Finn asked sitting beside her. "That was a pretty intense battle."

"Yeah…I'm fine…" she passed her hand by her forehead to wipe off the sweat and noticed the blood on her hand.

"But that…aren't you hurt? Flame P asked concerned.

"Just a little cut" she smelled her hand and then licked the blood from it.

"Yawwwhhh! Marceline! What the-?" Finn replied watching her.

"What? I'm still hungry from breakfast; the ketchup was not enough to fill me you know? She licked her hand again "Mmm! I haven't tasted blood for a while! Mmmm! Is good!"

"As long as you drink yours…" Jake said hiding behind Finn.

"Shouldn't you get some medical attention or something?" The Ice King asked her.

"What? No I'll be okay" She laughed. "Bonnibel is the one who'll need medical attention after the shock I gave her! Hehe!"

"Shock?" P.B. replied standing up. "If that witch hadn't reacted, I would be dead!"

"Nah…I knew she was going to react…" Marceline said calmly with her hand inside her mouth.

"You really exasperate me! Did you know that?" the princess replied angrily.

"How's your face?"

"What?"

"I smashed your face, didn't I? Are you alright?"

"I-I'll be fine…thanks." Bubblegum said blushing a bit.

"Well done Marceline, you saved us…" Billy said walking over her and extended his hand to help her up.

Marceline tilted her head to one side in confusion.

"C'mon don't stare me like that, take my hand."

"I-I guess you're not that bad after all froggy." She said taking his hand and standing up.

Billy smiled while nodding at her. "You aren't bad either."

"Holy stuff Marceline! You shook Billy's hand!" Finn said. "That makes you ten times cooler than before did you know that?"

"Billy! I want to shake hands with you too! Make me ten times cooler please!" Jake said jumping in one place.

"No." Billy replied rolling his eyes. "Let's get moving on to the last trial."

"Yeah!" Finn shouted.

"I can't believe it! We are really making it guys!" Princess Bubblegum said.

"Yeah we are a great team!"

/

"Hehehe! They've passed the second trial!" Mannish said happily. "I really think this guys are going to save us!"

"Wenk!" Gunter said blinking.

"Hohoho! Here comes the last one!" Key-per said after swallowing his spaghetti.

/

"Now…how can we get out of here?" Flame P said looking around. "There is not door."

"It's probably just a-" Finn was about to say something when the ground started shaking.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Jake asked.

"Look at the wall! It's a secret passage!" Princess Bubblegum said.

One of the walls began to move upwards revealing a passage behind it, but when it reached the top it began to close again.

"Guys…" The Ice King said staring at it. "It's closing again!"

"Don't worry I'll stop it." Jake said growing.

"Wait Jake!" Marceline interrupted him. "We don't know what kind of traps are hidden in there, you may be more useful in there than I could be. "I'll stay holding it."

"Are you sure you can handle it? You lost a great amount energy fighting Odraz." Flame P commented.

"Don't worry this is nothing, just try to hurry ok?"

"Thanks Marcy!" Finn said. We'll see you soon!"

"And we'll bring The Fountain of Youth with us!" Jake said following him.

"Good Luck guys!" Marceline replied holding the door, her both arms lifted upwards.

"Okay Jake focus! Mannish said each challenge would be tougher than the other!" Finn said running forward.

"Which means this could the hardest challenge we've ever faced?" "I don't feel so brave now!" Jake replied.

"Hey Finn!" Flame P called running by his side. "How about a race to the next chamber?"

"Race?" shouldn't we try to save our energy for-" Princess Bubblegum tried to ask.

"Last one's a rotten goblin bun!" Finn replied. "Ready! Set! Go!"

"Finn! Flame Princess! I'm serious this is no time to play!" Bubblegum yelled. "Come back here!" … "Kids…" she sighed in resignation.

"Hey boy that can be really dangerous!" Billy said watching them disappear in the darkness. "You don't know what's…ugh…rookies…" he rubbed his forehead in frustration. "I'm coming for ya!"

"B-billy! Finn! Wait for me!" Jake shouted following them.

"Wait! Don't leave alone with…"

"Hey Princess Bubblegum!" The Ice King said walking towards her. "Hehehe! Let's try a friendship exercise; I'll tell you a deep secret about myself and then you tell me one about you!" "I'll start!" "Sometimes I get too scared to go to the bathroom in the night and I pee on my bed…"

"…." Every possible emotion faded away from her face. "Please wait for me guys!" P.B. shouted running away from him.

/

"Finn I didn't think you were fast enough to keep on with me."

"Hehehe! Please, I run all the time!" Finn replied trying to not to be left behind by Flame Princess. "I-I'm going to beat you!"

They kept running caught in their competitive spirit almost forgetting where they were and what they're supposed to be doing.

"Awww…man…I'm getting tired!" "F.P! Don't you feel like we've been running for hours and we still haven't get anywhere?"

She stopped herself and looked at him. "Now that you mention it…yes…" she turned her flames bigger to light the area. "Can you see something?"

"No, nothing…" He replied pressing his eyes to force his gaze. "Let's try something! Flame P shoot a fireball in that direction, try to use all your strength!"

"Then move aside you're in my way." She replied smiling softly.

"Oh…right…hehe…"

She closed her eyes trying to concentrate a great amount of heat in hands, at the moment she felt ready F.P. opened them and fired moving her arms forward. "There it goes!" she said watching the fireball flying at high speed in front of them.

"Awesome! Now we'll know how much distance is left between us and the next-

"F-Finn? The fireball…disappeared!" she said with an expression of disbelief.

"What? D-don't tell this place has no bottom!" he put his hands over his head " Holy cow! Flame P…we lost the others!"

She bit her lip for a while thinking in something "Let's go back maybe we'll find them…and just in case…" she burned one of the walls drawing an F "I have a suspicion about this place, this mark will help me confirm it…I just hope I'm wrong"

"F for Finn The Human!" he said jumping and waving his arms.

"No F for Flame Princess!" she laughed pushing his shoulder with her fist.

"Why u so selfish?" he faked a frown.

"Okay" she began walking away "Next F will be Finn's F!"

"Then F for fire and then F for…" he thought for a moment "fart!"

"Or for freak, like Finn is a freak!" "You could've say something nicer like…flower or friend, you know?"

"F for…fridge?" he said shrugging his shoulders.

"F for fail!" she pushed him again and he replied back pushing her as well, soon both began bothering each other on their way back.

/

"This place is too dark we should have brought a torch with us…" Billy said examining the area.

"Yeah…something could jump over us at any moment…we should go back for a torch, I personally offer myself to bring it! Wait here please" Jake said turning around.

"Not so fast dog…" Billy grabbed his tail "there's no turning back for a hero"

"I feared you'd say something like that…" Jake replied sighing.

"If we hurry ourselves we may catch up with them so stop shivering and start walking."

"Sir! Yes Billy sir!" "Hehe it feels great being in an adventure with you!" he said leaning closer to him.

"Huh? Space please, heroes need it" Billy said pushing him back a little.

"Oh…sure…I'm sorry."

Billy rolled his eyes.

/

"Glob I can't see them any where! Correction, I can't see anything this place is pitch-dark!" Princess Bubblegum complained as she placed her hand in the wall to guide her way. Suddenly she felt something bump into her. "Yah! My butt!" she screamed sending punches everywhere.

"Gaaahh! My nose!" I.K. fell on the ground covering his face "You hit my nose!"

"Well that's what you get for messing with my butt!" Bubblegum replied angrily blushing.

"What! It wasn't my fault I can't see anything! And besides! You should know I'm a decent gentleman with the ladies!" he replied standing up.

"Whatever! Just stay as far away from me as possible, understood?"

"Women…" The Ice King whispered. "You'll never know what will offend them…"

/

"Can you hear them?" Flame P asked.

"No…it's like if we've been swallowed by the darkness…wait! What if we have really been swallowed by the dark?" Finn said starting to freak out.

"T-that would be bad…" F.P. looked at him. "Maybe…we don't have to reach the third trial…maybe…"

"This is the last trial! This place!" he sat on the ground "We shouldn't had run away from the rest…I bet everyone ended up in separated ways."

"Yeah…" she sighed sitting by his side "It's my fault I shouldn't have challenged you to that race."

"What? No! How could you know something like this will happen?" he grabbed her hands and lifted her up "C'mon we can do this! Let's beat this place together!"

She smiled and kissed his cheek "Of course we will."

Finn's blood accumulated on his face and he turned away "Holy stuff princess!"

She laughed, "C'mon let's go silly!"

/

"I think we're lost, but how can that be possible if we have been walking in a straight line?" Jake wondered keeping his sight forward.

"This place is probably playing tricks on us…I've seen it before."

"Then that means…we won't find Finn?" he stopped his pace "The princess! Princess Bubblegum! She's not following us! But she was right behind…" Jake stretched his face with his hands in frustration. "We left her alone…with…I think I'm going to faint…" he said letting himself fall.

"No, no! Don't do that! Ugh…great…now I'll have to carry you…" Billy sighed bending down to lift Jake. "Yahh…you didn't look so heavy! Owwow my back!" he moaned letting Jake hit the ground "I'm definitely too old for this…"

/

"_One little two little three little penguins…four little five little six little penguins-_

"Hey Ice King! Could you please shut your mouth…that song is really annoying it's been ten minutes already and you haven't passed from six little penguins!"

"Sorry princess I just wanted to smooth the situation…hehe…I'll sing other thing!"

Bubblegum turned to him grabbed his hands and placed them over his mouth "There…you look really _handsome_ like that…"

"Rmmm?" He asked excited.

"Yeah…now stay like that and I will consider the tiniest, microscopically, no, atomic possibility of going out on a date with you, okay?"

"Ohmmmmmm!" he began jumping and dancing like crazy.

"Great now…where were we? Seven little penguins? No! You see what I'm talking about? Now it's stuck inside my head!"

"Hiiiissssss…"

"What? What was that sound?" P.B. asked getting scared.

"mmmmmmnnmnnm!" The Ice king replied.

/

"_Staring at the floor _

_holding up the door…_

_Counting until four _

_holding up the door…" "_Sigh…this is getting pretty boring…"

/

"D-did you hear that?" Finn asked stopping his pace.

"It came from over there!" Flame P said pointing with her finger.

"Near the F for frog?"

"No…near the F for fear…wait! Finn! I didn't write an F for fear!" she said walking to his side.

"M-me neither!" Both walked slowly backwards until their backs bumped with the wall…The wall that suddenly disappeared and made them lose their balance and fall into a black pit!

"Whaaa! Fiinn! Take my hand!" Flame P yelled as they were falling.

Finn struggled to reach her waving his arms like if he was swimming "Just a…little…closer…." He whispered stretching his arm.

"Got you!" F.P. said holding his hand. "I'll pull us up! Get ready!"

"Okay! I'm ready!" he replied.

…

"Princess? I'm ready!" he repeated waiting for her action.

"F-Finn? I'm trying to fly but! I feel something pulling me down!"

"What?"

Suddenly whatever was pulling Flame P down dragged them violently within the darkness, they screamed holding each other tight until they crashed with the bottom.

/

"Hmmp! What was that sound?" Billy said looking around.

"Hmmm…Lady…you smell so nice…" Jake whispered in his unconsciousness.

Billy rolled his eyes once again and began shaking Jake to wake him up.

"I-I didn't want to…Jermaine! Jermaine made me! It's his fault!"

"Jake the dog wake up!" Billy yelled losing his patience.

"Huh? Billy? What were we?"

"Be quiet…there's something here…" Billy whispered, "I just heard it moving in the shadows…"

"I hate when things lurk in the dark…" Jake replied quietly.

"C'mon follow me and watch your step."

"Don't worry I will-" Jake was about to finish talking when the ground under his feet was suddenly destroyed.

"I told you to watch your step!" Billy scolded him as they were falling.

"It's not my fault! I'm sorry Billy! It's still not my fault!" Jake cried grabbing Billy's arm.

"C'mon that's pathetic! How can you call yourself a hero acting like that?" Billy scolded him again "and what did I tell you about the space?"

"Sorry!" Jake said, "You're right it's time to stop acting like a baby! TIME TO GET BADASS!" Jake stretched his body to reach the edge with his two frontal paws and hold Billy with his feet "Now I'll take us up!"

"Right!" Billy looked down "Uh-oh… Jake you better move faster!"

"What?" something grabbed his body and began pulling him down "Gah! OMG something's touching me and it's cold!" His paws slipped from the edge.

"No Jake! Hold on!" he shouted looking at him "You can't let us fall!"

He struggled to stretch himself once more to get back to the edge "Okay, hehe, don't worry I did it" the thing began to pull him again this time with more force than before. "Yah!" Jake clenched his teeth trying not to fall. "Billy! Climb up using my body! I don't know for how long I will be able to- wah!" the thing pulled once more "Climb Billy! Climb!"

Jake stretched his body each time the thing pulled him down to prevent himself from being dragged into the darkness. Billy noticed this made the distance between him and the edge larger "It'll be impossible for me to climb up if you keep stretching!"

"If I don't stretch that thing will get us!"

"But you can't keep stretching forever, can you?"

"…." Jake thought for a moment "You are right. Time to change strategy!" he stretched once more "Listen I'll throw you up!"

"No don't do that!" Billy shouted, "That thing could get me in mid-air!"

"Hmmm…okay, then I'll have to use my last resort!" Jake said with determination.

"What do you have in mind?" Billy asked doubting in Jake's abilities.

"If I tell you, you'll freak out!"

"What?"

Jake held as strongly as he could to the edge and stopped stretching "Okay thing or whatever you are! Pull my body! Go on!"

The thing continued pulling Jake's body downwards tensing his elastic muscles until they reached their limit.

"Jake your body became pretty rigid! What the flip are you doing?"

"Billy! Hold on to me tightly! And I mean very, very, very tightly! Understood?"

"Jake! I don't get it!"

"Trust me I've got a plan! Remember what happened when we fought the slime monster? Well this is pretty much the same situation, but this time we'll use it in our favor! Now hold on because I'm going to let go of the edge!"

"WHAT?"

"Here we go!" Jake yelled letting himself go, his body immediately compressed down sending them backwards with a great amount of speed "yeeehhaaa!" Jake shouted in excitement quickly turning into a spring. They crashed against the thing forcing it to release them because of the impact; which they took advantage of to sprung up back into the air as a rocket "Woohaa! Look at my Superman stance!" Jake said placing his arms in front of his head "To infinity… and beyooond!"

"Yeeaahh! We are flying back to the edge!" Billy said completely amazed.

Billy and Jake fell on the ground rolling forwards until a wall stopped their crash "Hahaha! Did you see that? We were all Boooiiinnnggg! And that thing was all Raaaawww! Falling on it's ugly back as we flew like…like…like radioactive birds! Hahaha! We really socked angels this time!"

"You must have had an impressive amount of good luck for making that work like that!" Billy said trying to stand up.

"Good luck? What do you mean by that?" Jake replied, "That wasn't luck, that was my brain working!"

"Huh? Explain yourself cause I can't get it."

"Well it was…hmm…it was all…I don't know…some sort of science stuff?"

* * *

What time is it? Science time! With Princess Bubblegum

Presented by the smartest princess you all know and love!

"Hi guys! Princess Bubblegum here taking you into the braintastic world of science! On today's episode we'll be talking about the most interesting branch of science: Physics!"

"Let's start with these wonderful concepts; force, potential energy, accumulation and elasticity."

To put them on practice we'll be using the most common example and one of my favorites! Let's analyze how a spring works! Now, what is a spring? Cinnamon bun?"

"Uwwwhh… spring is…that time of the year when the snow goes away and the birds sing, and everyone starts having babies?"

"Noooo silly that's one of the four seasons, Mr. Cupcake?"

"A spring is what we use to jump on our beds!"

"That's right! The miracle of jumping on our beds is possible thanks to the spring!"

"Ooohhhh!"

"Anything that "builds up" energy by the effect of an applied force and that then can be released by that same force is a spring.

"Ooohhh!"

"After it is "loaded", this spring can be used to recycle that energy and perform other kind of work in another time and space."

"Oooohhh!"

"Physically, a spring can be made of any material that meets the characteristics described; Jake's body has a magical _elastic _composition in his cells."

"Ooohhh!"

"When Jake let himself go he released all the potential energy that was accumulated in his body, this energy was then used as the force to knock down that thing and because Jake shaped his body into a spring he recycled that force again to store it in his compressed body. When it was expanded he released that potential energy, which was what gave him the impulse to fly."

"Oooohhh!"

"Was that clear?" "Did you get it guys?"

"Nooohhh!"

"Well that's too bad…our time is over now! See you next time when a scientific explanation is required in Science time! With Princess Bubblegum!"

Science time! With Princess Bubblegum was brought to you thanks to the SPAKSPPC; Scientific Parasites Association to Keep Smart People's Pocket Clean! Have you noticed us?

Now back to our current transmission…

* * *

"Hmmm…okay…that was weird, but it explained lots of things."

"Heroes are not usually related to science stuff, but Jake you've won my admiration…I owe you my life." Billy said kneeling down and placing his fist on his chest.

"Waaaaaahhhh I'm going to faint again!" Jake said making his eyes bigger than usual.

"Please don't do that again…"

"Okay Billy! Whatever you say!" he said rapidly regaining his energy "Huh? Hey what's that bright light?"

The dark corridor began to glow in a white light letting them see a golden door at the end of it "That's!"

"We've done it! We passed the last trial! That's the entrance to The Fountain of Youth's chamber! "Billy said getting back on his feet "Jake please do me the honor of opening it for me…"

"Yes Billy!" he replied in a high-pitched voice.

Jake opened the door and they soon found themselves inside a beautiful room; the ground was covered with grass and flowers, there's was refreshing scent in the air and a small waterfall falling into a crystal clear pond.

"This-this place is so wonderful…I think I'm going to cry!" Jake said.

Billy walked slowly towards the pond; there was a small altar with a golden cup on it. He grabbed the cup and filled it with the waterfall's water "Okay…here I go…" he held the cup in front of his face and began drinking from it.

/

"I don't know what that sound was, but I don't like it…" Bubblegum said walking backwards.

"mmmmmnnnnmmmmnn!" The Ice King said.

"What?"

"MMMNNNMNMNNMNMN!"

"You can take off your hands from your mouth now!"

"I said RUN! The floor is disappearing!"

"Mother of Glob!" P.B. shouted jumping on The Ice King's arms trying not to fall.

"Hehehe! Well Princess this is a little bit too fast for us don't you think?"

"Shut up fool! Fly or something we are going to fall!"

"Huh? Oh right!" he jumped trying to fly but he fell on the ground "I can't fly if you are holding my beard like that!"

"Well I'm sorry, but I don't want you to touch me!" she replied angrily "The path is disappearing! Use your magic powers!" she yelled watching the ground collapsing under them.

"Wawawawa! Ice path!" he said creating a new slippery iced-path and landing on it." hehehe pretty _cool_ isn't it?"

"Just run! There's a giant black ugly thing with lots of teeth coming right behind us!"

"I'm on it! I'm on it!" he slipped on the ice "whoa! Watch out!"

"Control your balance!" Princess Bubblegum shouted, "Imagine you're skating!"

"That's a fantastic idea princess! Hehe! I'm an awesome skater you know?"

"Yeah, yeah…just do it!" the thing hit the ice with its claws destroying it.

"Oh crab…" The Ice King said looking down before falling "Princess if we die I want you to know that I love youuuu!" he screamed as they fell.

"Noooo! I don't want to die!" she cried "And specially not with you by my sideee!"

/

"A-ACHOO!"

"Yah! Don't tell me I caught a cold!"

" ACHOO!"

"Crab! I did!" … "Oh no! My nose! I need to…scratch my nose! Where the heck are you guys!"

"ACHOO!"

"Oh no! Runny nose! Runny nose! I need to blow my nose before-bef-"

"ACHOO!"

"Yeeeaaawwk!" "First slime, now snot…curse this door! Curse this stupid place! With it's stupid traps and stuff!"

"ACHOO!"

"Yeeaawwk! Curse you stupid karma!"

/

"Flame P…princess…are you okay?" Finn asked shaking her slightly.

"Aww! My head!" she looked around "Where are we?"

"I don't know…last I remember was you and me falling because of- Oh no! Where's that thing?" he said standing up with his sword in his hands.

"Listen…" Flame P whispered closing her eyes.

"_Hisssss…" "hisssss…"_

"It's getting closer…" she said standing up also.

"W-where are you? Come here and fight!" Finn exclaimed.

"HIISSSSS!" They felt something hit their bodies blowing them away. Finn landed hard over rock "w-what's that? I-I couldn't see anything…too dark…"

"Yaaah! Put me down creep!" Flame P shouted "Don't make me burn you!" her flames grew bigger hurting the monster.

"_Hissss…bright…too…bright…must…get rid of…brightnesssss!"_ The thing said slamming her against the ground. Flame P screamed in pain still trying to free herself from the beast's grasp.

"Hey you lumping piece of dog crap!" Finn yelled charging furiously against it "She's my girlfriend you freak! I'll make you pay!" he stabbed his sword on its claw forcing the creature to let go of F.P.

"Flame Princess!" he screamed running towards her "are you all right?"

She groaned a bit "Don't worry I'm just a bit dizzy…"

"Hehe…thank Glob…I don't know what-" he was about to say something when Princess Bubblegum and The Ice King fell over them.

"Yahoo! I'm alive hehe! Thanks to this soft cushion that absorbed my fall!"

"Ice King you COW! Get your butt off me!"

"Finn… does it have to be like this each time we meet?"

"We'll if you keep falling over me…YES!"

"Princess Bubblegum? How did you get in here?" Flame P asked.

"Oh! It was terrible! The ground disappeared and then that thing came and- That…thing…is…here!" P.B. screamed watching the beast's tail coming closer to crush her.

"Bubblegum!" Finn yelled "Ice King get off me now! I have to save her!"

"Too late!" P.B. screamed closing her eyes and preparing to receive the hit.

"What time is it? Ice King time!" he said creating a solid ice wall between the princess and the beast's tail "hehehe! I've always wanted to say that!"

"Huh?" Princess Bubblegum whispered opening one eye "I don't believe it…Ice King…you saved my life!"

"I-I did?" he blinked a couple of times "I mean of course I did hehe! Are you going to marry me now?"

"C'mon no one is that grateful!" she replied.

"Awww…" he moaned.

"_Hisssssss!" _The black beast roared and prepared to charge over them rubbing its paws against the ground.

"Guys…" Finn called with his sword in his hand.

"Don't forget we are fighting Mr. ugly here!" Flame P said getting on fire.

/

"I-is it me…or this thing has gotten heavier all of a sudden?"

The door fell abruptly over Marceline, she bended her knees and clenched her teeth trying to withstand its weight "Yaah! Hurry up guys!" she yelled closing her eyes.

/

"Gaah!" Finn screamed hitting his body against the wall "That thing is beating us up…" he whispered trying to stand up, but losing his balance, his left leg was gravely injured.

"Hold on Finn I've got you!" Flame P said grabbing him by his arm and passing it around her shoulder "lean on me, okay?"

"Hehe…princess…it's not like if you were on better conditions…" he smiled.

"I know, but at least I can keep on my feet…" she replied.

"Ice King's head hurts!" he yelled rubbing his head on the ground "Give me back my crown I need my powers to kill you!" the beast roared on his face "Ahh! Okay keep the crown if you want!"

Princess Bubblegum ran to Finn and Flame P's side "It seems that…we are not going to make it this time huh?" she said with a weak smile on her face.

"I-I wish I could have done more…but I'm so…tired…" Finn replied "That thing's got an FFF for Freaking Fudgy Fiend…"

"That's a…good one…" F.P. whispered smiling.

"I have a better one…" he replied looking at her "…FFFF…"

"For what?"

He smiled "Finn Fell For Flame P…"

She blushed looking at him "Finn…I love you…"

"Aww… guys you're going to make me cry" Princess Bubblegum said.

"Waahhahah! Why? I'm going to die without meeting my special someone!" The Ice King cried.

The beast faced them and ran to crush them against the wall "Here it comes" Finn said holding F.P.'s hand tightly.

"I never thought things would end this way…" Bubblegum thought to herself "At least I got to meet you guys…even you Ice King…"

"Are you serious?" he asked looking at her.

"Yes I am…" she closed her eyes "See you in Glob World!"

…

"Glob World? I don't think so!"

Finn looked up "Jake! Brother!"

"Hehehe! Look who's coming with me! Bro it'll blow your mind!" he said as he fell softly in the form of a parachute.

"Huh?"

"Giving up so soon?" a strange voice echoed around them.

The beast stopped it's pace searching for that voice, "I'm here monster!" something hit the beast making it fall violently on the ground.

"I-it's! Impossible!" I.K. said.

"It's incredible!" P.B. exclaimed.

"It's awesome!" F.P. replied.

"It's Billy!" Finn shouted.

A young tall man with greenish skin and long orange hair stood before them "I'm back!" he said rising his fist "Come demonic beast, show me what you've got!"

The monster roared and charged against him with its mouth open "_I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!"_

Billy stood still waiting for it, when the beast was about to catch him within its teeth he grabbed its fangs and slammed it on the rocky wall. Some dust fell from the ceiling "Guys I'm going to crush this creature under this place, get out now!" he ordered.

"Right!" Jake said "Get up here I'll take you in my back!" he grabbed them and stretched out of the hole.

"Now for you…" Billy said looking at the beast "A proper grave!" he shouted hitting the ground with both fists at the same time.

/

"This place is…. collapsing?" Marceline asked to herself, her knees were already touching the floor and her arms grew tired with every passing second "What's going on in there?"

"Marceline! Hold on!"

"Huh?" She turned her head to her right "Is it you guys?"

"Keep that thing open we are coming!" Jake shouted.

"Hurry! I can't take it any longer!" she replied.

"Wait!" Finn said "What about Billy?"

"I'm right behind you! Keep running c'mon!" Billy ordered.

"Calculating the distance and the speed we are running at, I can't tell we won't make it!" Princess Bubblegum said.

"What? C'mon we haven't gotten this far to end up trapped in here!" Finn replied, "There's got to be a way!"

"Yes there is!" Jake said "Science time!"

Jake stretched his body into a "v" form and began moving backwards, the rest of the gang placed themselves in the center pushing backwards as well "This one is called the slingshot!" "Ready guys!"

"Hurry up darn it!" Marceline screamed.

"Here we gooooooo!" Everyone yelled flying towards her at great speed.

"Can't… take it…no…. more" Marceline clenched her teeth "My arms are going to- Ugh! I don't want to do this…but it's the only alternative left!" She took her axe-bass and placed it under the door, and then she jumped aside before it could crush her.

The rest managed to pass through the door three seconds before the door fell and shut itself.

"Jake! Where are the brakes?" Finn shouted as they flew.

"There's no brakes!" he replied "just that wall!"

Marceline stood up only to be hit by their flying friends and crashed against the wall with them. "What the-? Who's standing on my hair?"

Everyone ended up tangled in Jake's stretched body "Ice King!"

"I know, I know…get off me you cow!"

"Auch! Someone pinched my butt!"

"Please let me breathe!"

/

"Now that's what I call an adventure!" Finn exclaimed happily.

"Well guys it's good to see everyone is fine…well…. alive at least…" Jake said sitting on the ground.

"No…there's someone here that didn't survive…"

"What'd you mean Marceline?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

Marceline walked towards the closed door and picked up something "My…bass…" she whispered turning around and holding its pieces close to her chest.

"Oh C'mon! Marceline! Don't be so melodramatic!" Bubblegum replied.

"Don't worry we have to pick up Nothung from the blacksmith in The Boneyard Kingdom!" Finn said, "Maybe he can repair it!"

"Okay…" Marceline replied.

"I think that we should leave this place now…it stinks in here!" Flame P said.

" Ooops I'm sorry!"

"ICE KING!"


	14. It Just Gets Complicated!

Tale 14: It just gets complicated!

"Now what do we have here! Hehe a bunch of battered girls and guys!" Mannish said coming to receive them out of the tower "Nah, seriously that was spectacular! You really kept us on the edge of our seats!"

"Hohoho! I didn't think you would make it!" Key-per said.

"Was that some kind of compliment?" a small bat under Finn's hat replied sarcastically.

"Nope…" the small old man said. Marceline rolled her eyes.

"I don't want to bother you or anything but, hehe, I getting tired of carrying these guys" Jake's knees began to shiver.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I forgot you may be tired and hungry!" the minotaur slapped its forehead.

"And injured!" Princess Bubblegum said.

"Right, right, don't worry…umm…Yes! Stay here for a while and rest, I'll bring you something good to eat and some Cyclops's tears to heal those injuries!" The minotaur replied entering the tower.

"Rhombus! You have Cyclops's tears? That's a relief!"

"What are those Finn?" Flame P asked.

"They are the tears of a real Cyclops that lives…I don't remember, somewhere near. If you use them, they'll heal any kind of wound!"

"Wow really?" "Unbelievable!"

The gang passed the rest of the afternoon resting their tired bodies on Mount Cragdor, Key-per made some noodles and they shared their previous experiences at the table. Soon after they had their lunch Mannish showed them the Cragdor's hot spring waters and suggested to take a bath because, they smelled pretty bad and were still covered in slime.

The guys didn't have any problem in accepting and immediately threw themselves into the water taking off their shirt, shoes, hat, tunic and spider web made pixie pants.

Of course one may think that a hot spring water pound is a place to relax and sooth your senses (At least from a feminine point of view) but you knew this guys do not take this kind of things in consideration.

"The Ice King is freezing the water!" Finn yelled "Over him!"

"Wait don't! It's not my fault!" he tried to defend himself but Finn and Jake were already pulling him under and splashing water everywhere. "I hate this games!" I.K. complained.

Billy watched them calmly resting his back on the pond's edge with his arms extended around it. Sometimes is good for a hero to relax.

"Wenk!" Gunter stared at Billy.

"Huh? Don't look at me like that, it's creepy!"

"Wenk!" he replied watching his master's water fight.

"One, two, three! Sink him!" Finn pulled the Ice King down with Jake's help while he screamed and kicked the water crazily.

"Jerks! I'll show you how to play with water!" The Ice King said getting mad "freeze!"

"Oh Glob! Finn, get out of the-"

"Too late we're stuck…" Finn said frowning.

"Hehehe! Splash time!" The Ice King began to throw water in their faces "Do you like that? Hehe! Now comes the bomb!"

The Ice King got out of the pond and took some distance before he started running in their direction and when he got to the border he jumped right over them. Finn and Jake tried desperately to free themselves but it was useless.

Imagine a column of water rising over the horizon, well that's what happened and that was what forced the guys to leave the pond so the girls could take their turn.

"Rainicorn you were really nice in bothering yourself to go back and bring us clean clothes!" Princess Bubblegum said preparing herself to relax in the warm waters."

"너는 그게 나를위한 문제가 아니라는 건 알아, 난 당신을 도울 행복해!"

Bubblegum smiled and stood up, then she noticed that the other girls weren't around. She walked out of the dressing room and saw Marceline and Flame P playing a children's game with their hands under a large tree.

"Girls aren't you coming?" she asked arriving to where they were sited, carrying a pink towel in her arm.

"Nope…I'm made of fire, remember?" Flame P said creating a small spark with her fingers.

"Oh…yeah, that's right, sorry…" she looked at Marceline "You coming?"

The vampire peeked at the pond surrounded with a tall wooden fence, and then at the sky. Although it was late the sun was still there. "No, I think I'll stay here under this shadow and take a sweet nap…" she answered leaning her back on the tree with her arms behind her head. "Wake me up when you see the moon."

"Well…I guess it's just you and me Lady…" Princess Bubblegum whispered making her way to the hot spring water pond.

/

When P.B. ended her bath it was already dark. She walked out feeling clean and fresh and began to pack her stuff in the bag Lady brought some hours ago. Some lights shined in the distance probably coming from the hut where Mannish and the others were, she could clearly hear their chatter and laughter.

She wondered how they could be so relaxed, they had already passed through a lot of hard challenges and fights, luckily or barley making it out alive and they knew that the worst was yet to come. "Maybe the secret for happiness is to play dumb when you know problems are coming" she thought.

Bubblegum left her stuff over a table and went outside, she stood alone watching the night sky with her hands inside her pockets. There was no moon tonight, but the stars filled the dark blue heavens. Suddenly a soft noise took her out of her soul-searching stuff, she turned her head and saw Finn and Flame P lying on the grass.

"Why do you always wear this?" Flame P asked taking off Finn's hat from his head.

"I don't know, maybe because it's awesome and I look awesome wearing it!" he replied.

She put the hat on her head "Do I look awesome with it?"

"Haha! No you look funny!" he laughed.

"You look ridiculous always, you know?"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

Finn tried to get his hat back but Flame P pushed him aside "C'mon not again! Why do girls are always stealing my hat?"

"Well not because it's awesome…" she replied, "Want to see something truly awesome?"

He nodded.

"Look at this" she said while pointing her finger towards the sky.

She began drawing something with her fire, Finn watched closely paying attention to what she was doing. Her flames took the form of two wild horses running in a straight line across the starry firmament.

"Wow how do you do that?" He asked totally amazed.

"I used to do it a lot when I was locked inside the lamp to entertain myself, maybe I got a lot of practice?"

"And you can do that in whatever shape or size you like?"

"Yes"

"Awesome…"

The Flame Princess began to laugh, "See I told you!" she said messing his hair with her hand.

"Shoot! You got me!" he laid back and stared the sky "Have you ever seen something so huge?"

"No…" she whispered lying back as well "We are smaller than we thought…"

"I don't really know but once I heard Bubblegum talking about something called the Milky Way." He looked at her "Do you think there's milk in space?"

She stared at him in silence and then giggled, "Maybe she was talking about that star path!"

"No I don't think so…" he replied seriously, causing her to laugh. "What's so funny huh?"

"You are!" she smiled "I'm happy I met you…you changed my life."

Finn blushed "I-I didn't do anything…it was all…Jake's…" he stopped talking.

He stared at her face for a moment and made her nervous "Finn? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked blushing as well. The wind blew moving their hairs slowly across their faces.

"I-I'm sorry…it's just…It's so easy to get lost in your eyes…" He replied.

"But what are you saying?" she smiled sitting "Come let's go back to the others" she took his hand and pulled him up.

"R-right…" he shook his head "Race?"

"Ready-set-go!" Flame P yelled running.

"This time there will be a winner!" Finn said chasing her "And that will be me!"

"Aren't you forgetting something, winner?"

"Aww math! My hat!" he had to return and pick it up quickly almost falling in the process "Great now she has a bunch of advantage!" he moaned, "That's not fair you hear me? Not fair!"

Princess Bubblegum laughed watching them from where she was, still with her hands inside her pockets; she looked at the sky searching for the Milky Way. Suddenly she felt someone leaning on her shoulder causing her to jump startled.

"M-Marceline! You scared me!"

"Nah…seriously?" the Vampire Queen replied.

Princess Bubblegum mimicked Marceline's laugh, trying to taunt her but she didn't care "What are you doing here?"

"I'm certainly not spying on my friend's back, like you, if that is what you're thinking…" she answered still leaning on Bubblegum's shoulder.

"I wasn't! … You're the one who-!" P.B. grabbed Marceline's arm and threw it away from her.

"I already told I did not spy you…I just came from my bath, see…" she took off a gray towel from her shoulders. "Anyway I was just walking around and I saw you standing like a dumb, so I said to myself; oh let's see what's little Bonnie doing…"

"Could you please stop calling me like that?" Bubblegum said annoyed "I'm Princess Bubbleg-"

"I know who you are…Bonnibel." Marceline interrupted walking backwards, a serious expression on her face "You're the one who doesn't accept who she really is."

Bubblegum became angry and tried to reply her, but the vampire was faster and threw her towel over the princess's head. She took it off and wrapped it into a ball to fire it against its owner. Marceline caught it and threw it again on Bubblegum's face. She grabbed it, tossed it on the ground and stepped over it with her arms crossed.

"Enough of that! I don't want to fight with you!" P.B. said in a harsh tone.

"Who's fighting?" Marceline asked calmly raising her shoulders "This is called playing…play-ing…" she slowed her voice "Common people do it for fun, do you remember what that is?" Bubblegum turned her face away, the vampire flew in front of her "There was a time when you used to enjoy this kind of things"

"Those times are gone Marceline, we've already gone through this so safe your words!" the princess replied frowning. "Times change, people change…deal with it!"

Marceline stood firmly crossing her arms as well, an offended expression on her face "And what do you think I've been doing all of my immortal life? Do you have any idea of what being like me is? Her eyes were filled with tears but she wouldn't let them fall "Do you know what's to live forever? Seeing how everyone and everything you know and love go away?" Marceline began to yell, "I've seen centuries of changes! And I'll be seeing more! Every night I deal with the thought of loosing Finn, Jake, Flame P and even you in the future, when you're all gone and death! I'll be alone again!"

Princess Bubblegum's expression softened, she hasn't really been taking that into consideration. Now she felt like crap.

Marceline clenched her teeth trying to stop her tears from falling "What can you know about being cursed? You and your happily perfect life! Loved and praised by everyone! You've never loosed anything in your life!" A tear finally rolled down her cheek "So don't tell me to deal with it! That's all I've ever done!"

Princess Bubblegum didn't know what to say…this time she had really crossed the line. She doubted for a moment and made a few steps towards Marceline. "Hey…hey…I'm sorry…you're right I don't know how hard your life is in reality…I haven't really faced suffering in my perfect life…maybe that's why I've never thought you…" she closed her eyes and place her hand on the queen's shoulder "You must have suffered so much in your past life and still you life so happily, pretending that nothing has ever happened to you…that's something really admirable." P.B. opened her eyes and smiled softly.

Marceline dried her tears with her arm "I hate that you are watching me in this state, you or anyone…" she lifted her gaze "Stop being so noble! You're making me sick!"

Bubblegum laughed "You're right…let me say this in way more adjusted to your parameters" she let go of the vampire's shoulder "I'm a dumbass! Okay? I admit it! I feel like a giant piece of crap for not trying to understand you or your feelings before. She walked towards the towel and picked it up "Here's your stupid towel, I'm sorry for screwing it up!" Marceline tried to grabbed it but the princess took it away once more "You know what? I'll go wash this damn thing for you!"

Marceline lowered her head and laughed quietly "You know…scorn language doesn't fit you…"

"I already know that!" Bubblegum replied, "Damn! This is so relieving!" she began walking around "Glob have mercy! I'm swearing and cursing just to please you, Marceline you'd better forgive me!"

"You know I can't do that." Marceline replied staring the ground.

"Oh! For crying out loud!" The Princess yelled tossing the towel against the ground once more "You've gotta be- that's bullshit Marceline!" She leaned against a tree "What do I have to do to gain your forgiveness?"

Marceline looked at her with a smirk "I can't forgive you, but if you repeat that you're a dumbass again, I might consider forgetting what happened now and stay like if nothing happened at all."

Princess Bubblegum thought for a minute and nodded "Sounds good enough…" she smiled "Okay I am a dumbass…" she said lifting her arms to point herself.

Marceline laughed a bit "No, no, it needs more feeling, c'mon! Shout it to the world!" her personality was starting to get back to normal.

P.B. took a deep breath and looked upwards probably asking for mercy again "I Princess Bubblegum am a dumbass…A FREAKING DUMBASS!"

The Vampire Queen chuckled "Still not convincing enough…"

Bubblegum pulled her hair; she was beginning to feel stupid and humiliated. Of course, that's what Marceline wanted her to do…how did she end up tangled with someone so opposite to her? Wondering about that won't be of help, she thought clenching her fists "Damn it Marceline! Do you want me to swear? Then I'll swear my ass off! Damn fucking shitty bloody demons from hell! I'm a fucking dumbass who feels like shit because I'm always bitching around carelessly screwing up other's feelings!" P.B. held her throat while catching her breath "Are you happy now?" she asked looking at Marceline who immediately burst in laughter.

"Who would have thought that The Candy Kingdom's sweet princess could say something like that?" the vampire teased her sitting on the ground still chuckling "What a dirty mouth Bonnie! Where did you learn such an _inappropriate vocabulary?"_

The princess sat in front of her "You taught me!" she began to play with her fingers "I-It used to make me laugh…" she let escape a small sigh and looked at her "What kind of creep teaches a nine year old how to swear?"

"What kind of kid likes to mess around with a creep?" Marceline smiled "You used to be so carefree back then…"

"The first time I got grounded was all your fault…" Bubblegum said lost in her memories "I know I have changed, but…I kinda miss those days…"

Marceline opened her mouth to say something but changed her mind "C'mon don't get so cheesy now!" she was tying her hair into a ponytail "Let's go meet the others before this gets heavy again!" she took off and flew away without waiting for P.B.'s response.

Princess Bubblegum stayed on the ground watching her fly away, perhaps they could try to be friends again, once they stop The Lich she'll have a long talk with her. "I'm truly sorry…Marcy…" she whispered more to herself than to her old rival.

/

The rest of the gang was sitting on Mannish Man's forest hut, a small shack with a living room and a large wooden table surrounded by bookshelves. There was a lamp hanging in the ceiling where Flambo made himself comfortable and some candles were placed on the table. Many kinds of weapons were spread around the room; this somehow, made Finn feel like home.

"So that's how we met each other!" Jake said hugging Lady Rainicorn.

"Ah yes…to be young and in love…" Mannish replied before drinking from his mug "More apple cider? Anyone?"

"I'd like more of this! …hiccup…."

"Wenk!"

"Gunter's right Ice King, no more!" Jake said, "Can you imagine this guy drunk?"

"Heck no!" Finn yelled "That would be horrible, we'll have to kill him if that happens!"

"Hi people! how's it going?" Marceline said entering the room suddenly.

"Yo! Marcy, want some cider?" Finn offered her an empty mug "there's non-alcoholic and alcoholic…Jake won't let Flame P and I drink of that one cause he says we're too young, but since you're the oldest one in here after The Ice King…"

"How many times I've…hiccup…. told you I'm not old!" Everyone laughed.

"Perfect timing Finn, this is just what I needed!" Marceline replied. She took the mug and looked at Mannish "What do you have that's strong and red? My head is killing me! She sat between Finn and Flame P.

The minotaur began to search under the table "Ummm…I think there was a bottle of Cherry Heering somewhere…Oh here it is!" He placed the bottle on the table and began to look under the table again "Key-per where's the bottle opener?"

"You used it to kill a troll last Saturday!" The small old answered.

"Never mind!" Marceline replied, "Just give me the bottle!"

Key-per gave the bottle to her and she immediately sank one of her fangs on the cork and pulled it out cleanly with a "pop" sound, she spat the cork on the floor and began pouring the red liquor into her throat directly from the bottle without stopping to breathe. Everyone at the table stared at her surprised and oddly amazed.

"I-is something wrong with you?" Flame P asked once the vampire hit the table with the half-empty bottle.

"Ahhhh! Delicious…Dad always reserved the best drinks for himself…mmm tomorrow's gonna hurt, but who cares?"

"Marceline, seriously…you're freaking us out…" Finn said concerned.

"It'll be best if I take this away from you…" Jake stretched his arm to grab the bottle, but when he was about to grab it, The Vampire Queen slapped it fiercely.

Jake retrieved his arm and began to rub it "Yikes Marceline, relax! I'm doing it for your sake!"

"Then don't touch my bottle!" she replied. Finn and Flame P couldn't hide the worried look on their faces. Marceline noticed this and threw the bottle outside the window "Sorry guys…I'm just a little bit upset…" she held her forehead and lowered her gaze.

"Say that to my arm!" Jake replied "It's the second time you hurt me today!" Marceline's eyes turned red. "I mean…is there something we can do for you?"

"Just be quiet Jake!" she answered. "Wait…" she began smelling the air "What's that smell?"

Jake used his nose too "It smells like bananas!" he noticed the change of expression on Marceline's face "W-what is it?"

She stood up and placed her hands on the table "It stinks like demon…" Marceline rose her gaze "I knew there was something wrong…I've been having this bad feeling ever since we arrived to the forest…"

Finn stood up also "Do you mean?" he asked, "There are demons out there?"

Princess Bubblegum entered the room not noticing the tension in the air "Glob guys! Be careful with your trash, I tripped over a broken bottle on my way here and- What's going on?"

"Peebles did you notice something strange out side?"

"Strange? Besides that freaking bottle, no…may I ask why?" she answered siting beside Jake. Mannish's phone began to ring.

"I'll take it!" the minotaur said "Hellowww…"

"_Who the heck are you?"_

"Ummm…"

"_Never mind! Is Finn, Jake or Princess Bubblegum there?"_

"Yeah…the three of them…" Mannish looked at the gang.

"Who is it?" Finn asked him. Mannish raised his shoulders and covered the phone with his hand "I can't tell if it is a boy or a girl, but it's asking for you!"

"_Hurry the lump up idiot! I don't have all night!"_ Mannish moved the phone aside because of the shouting. "Okay…hold on! Who wants to answer?"

"I'll do it" Bubblegum said picking up the phone "Hi! Princess Bubblegum here"

"_Oh my Glob P.B.! I thought I'd never hear your voice again!"_

"L.S.P? What is it? Do you have some news?"

"_I'm afraid yes, very bad ones by the way…"_

"What's she saying?" Jake asked. "She says there's bad news!" P.B. answered looking at him.

"_Well to begin with, we've already lost The Slime and The Emerald Kingdom along with a few villages and towns, most of these people is save here in the Lumpy Space, but they are all freaked out!"_

"I'm sure of that…" Bubblegum replied.

"_The Lich is draining Ooo's life energy very fast! Tell me how many cosmic weapons have you gathered already?"_

"Well…"

"_Don't tell me you haven't found any yet!"_

"We'll be leaving tomorrow to The Boneyard Kingdom to retrieve Billy's sword, so we'll be having two of them!" The candy princess said "Tomorrow at this hour we'll be already making our way inside that cursed labyrinth, so try to hold on a little more!"

"_I don't think we can…I've tell you only half bad news, there's another issue, you see strange beings have started to show up around here and are attacking people!"_

"I knew it!" Marceline said with an aggressive expression "He must have failed!"

"Wait a sec L.S.P…" P.B. said while lowering the phone "Marceline what are you talking about?"

"I saw my father some days ago while we were on "The Ice Kingdom" remember we passed the night in there before The Royal Meeting?"

Everyone shook their heads "That night he told me that The Lich did something to the portal between The Nightosphere and Ooo, he wanted to release the chaotic demons in here…"

"And Hunson did nothing about it?" Finn asked.

"No…he…he was trying to warn me…he told me he had it under control" she became worried "I don't know what happened to him…ugh! Just what I needed!" she yelled hitting the table angrily and made everything on it to jump into the air "Why did I throw away that bottle?"

"Umm L.S.P… according to Marceline those beings are demons from The Nightosphere!" Bubblegum said on the phone.

"_Are they dangerous…I mean…like really dangerous?"_

"Let me see…" she looked at Marceline "Are they dangerous?"

"Am I dangerous?" she replied bothered.

"L.S.P. they are dangerous." Marceline rolled her eyes.

"_Then that makes it more complicated…great…if I'm still a live in two days, I'll call you again. Tell that lump who answered to give you a phone ok? See you later hon…" _She hanged the phone.

Princess Bubblegum stayed quiet for a moment and then turned to face her friends "We should go…like right now…" Everyone nodded in agreement.

/

Finn was getting ready to leave, he prepared his adventure stuff and put it inside his bag, he decided to leave behind some things that wouldn't be useful during the journey like his broken flute, a dead lizard, three socks, two buttons, bug milk…

"No…maybe I'll keep the bug milk. We might need to get into The Nightosphere…" he talked to himself. Finn continued taking out junk "Oh! P.B. told me not loose this paper! …Six months ago… to the trash can…" "A diamond…to the trash can…" "Green eyeball, to the trash can, tooth brush…hmm to the trash can, old yellow sweater, to the trash can, mom's music box…into the pack with my Walkman and headphones!"

"Hey bro! What are you doing?" Jake asked.

"Just packing some stuff…" Finn replied.

"Great let's go, everyone's waiting for us at the gate!"

Finn and Jake arrived just when Key-per was starting to open the gate; the group walked out and waved good-bye to the Mount Cragdor's guardians, Flambo the little fire elemental who had been aiding them during the journey took the decision of staying with Mannish Man. Probably because he would find lots of food and be safer with him. The gang was going to take off from the ground when Mannish remembered something.

"Here guys, two bottles filled with Cyclops's tears and one stamina magic potion, I'm sure they will come in handy!" the minotaur said throwing them into the air, Jake stretched and caught them, next he put the bottles inside Finn's bag. "Oh and you Marceline might need this tomorrow!"

"Hey it's not like if I had gotten drunk or something!" she replied angrily "I won't get a hangover, thanks!"

"I might get one…hiccup…" The Ice King said feeling dizzy.

"Hey Finn…" P.B. asked did Mannish gave you alcoholic drinks or something?"

"Just to the adults…why?" he watched her with curiosity.

"No, nothing…just asking…"

"No I'm not talking about that!" the minotaur said waving his arms "catch this, it's a parasol!"

"Gee…thanks!" Marceline replied catching it "Now this is useful!"

"Good luck heroes-to-be!" Key-per said.

"Remember my wise advice…" Mannish shouted, "Don't die!"

"Sure! Don't worry!" Finn replied from Lady's back "I have future plans you know?"

They flew the whole night trying to arrive after dawn; those who flew with Lady fell asleep while Flame P, The Ice King (not very much) and Marceline kept guard duty during the journey. Knowing that demons invaded Ooo was something that concerned Marceline gravely, there were a bunch of stupid puny demons that her father liked to torture, but she also knew of the existence of purely evil ones locked away by the Abadeers centuries ago in the depths of The Nightosphere. If The Lich freed those, then she'll need some serious help from her father to beat them, something that didn't please her very much.

"우리는 폐차장 왕국에있는 ..."

"What?" Marceline said, "I'm sorry, I can't understand you!"

"Try waking up somebody who understands her, like Jake!" Flame P suggested.

"Good idea!" Marceline took off her left boot "I'll wake up someone who understands her like Jake!" Flame P got confused.

"Hey! Princess!" the vampire shouted "Wake up!" she threw the boot on P.B.'s head.

"Yaawwuuch!" Bubblegum rubbed her head "I should've known…Marceline!" she took the boot and threw it at her "take your stinky shoe!"

"It's not a shoe, it's a boot and we have a question…" Marceline replied pointing F.P. "Your pet is trying to say something."

"Oh…right…what is it Lady?"

"우리는 폐차장 왕국에있는 ..." Rainicorn repeated.

"She said we are in The Boneyard Kingdom…Let's land!" But before she could say another thing a fireball grazed her cheek "Auch! Marceline I know you're still mad at me but don't use Flame P against me!"

"Hold on, I didn't do anything!" F.P. replied totally confused.

"Shoot! We are in the mist of an ambush! Take cover! Quick!" Marceline ordered watching hundreds of fireballs coming in their direction.

Lady Rainicorn moved swiftly trying to avoid them; the aggressiveness in her movements soon woke up the rest of the gang. The half-asleep Ice King received a blow that made him loose his powers temporally falling along with Gunter. Lady accelerated and intercepted his fall catching him in mid-air. He landed over Finn.

"Ice King!" he yelled angrily.

"But when are you going to understand that each time I fall over you it's not my fault!" he replied getting mad.

"I understand that you are a cow because you're still over me!"

"당신을 조용히하라!"

"What did she say?" Finn asked blinking in confusion.

"She said be quiet I'm trying to focus!" Jake answered. A fireball passed over his head "Whoa! That was a close one! Hey F.P. why are your buddies attacking us?"

"They are not my buddies!" Flame P tried to defend them by returning the blows with her flames.

"These are not fire elementals!" Marceline warned them "They come from The Nightosphere!"

"There's nothing we can't do from this high! Try to land!" Billy ordered patting Lady's back.

The gang landed and hid themselves behind some monster's giant bones. They waited until they heard the paces of the enemy. Finn took his sword and tightening his grip on it he suggested his friends to wait until they were close enough and take them by surprise, that way shooting fireballs would be useless.

Ten seconds passed when Princess Bubblegum saw them coming and warned her teammate warriors; Finn, Jake, Billy, Flame P and Marceline, followed by a complaining ice man to jump into battle.

"Okay! Here comes my sword!" Finn yelled cutting one demon's arm "Hey guys I bet I can kill more than you!"

"Let's see about that!" Jake replied. He was surrounded by at least twelve of them. He stretched his extremities and started spinning like crazy knocking out every demon that tried to jump over him "Let's see 4…7…I've got thirteen points!"

"Fifteen…sixteen…twenty two…twenty five points!" Billy shouted charging against a small group and crashing them against the wall.

The Ice King was attacked by whole horde of them; he extended his arms and yelled, "Freeze!" Instantly catching all of them inside the ice. "Got a thousand points!" he smiled making the victory sign with his right hand.

Gunter counted them with his wing "Wenk!"

"What? Just a hundred!" I.K. replied "Count again Gunter!"

"Two hundred!" Flame P said sticking out her tongue at him.

"What the-?" "I won't let you win fire girl!"

"Two hundred fifty!" she replied sending out more of them with her fire blasts. "This guys…are not of the smart kind, are they?"

"Hyaa!" Finn shouted ripping off five heads with one sword slash "No, most of these guys are really puny!"

Marceline jumped into action "Want to try my fists little jerks?"_ "It's a shame I can't use my axe-bass…" _When the demons saw her, they started running in circles and bumping into each other.

"Retreat! Retreat!" they shouted hiding behind the bones "It's Abadeer! Run away from the Abadeer!"

"W-what?" she was confused "C'mon don't tell me you won't let me have any fun!"

"What's going on?" Finn said, "Marcy, I think they are scared of you! Am I wrong guys?" he asked looking at the demons.

"Don't punish us Lady of Evil" "Please don't torture us Lady of Evil!"

"Hey no! Let's get something clear! The Lady of Evil was my mother, I'm Marceline The Vampire Queen!" she shouted at them with her hands on her waist.

"Don't kill us, oh great Abadeer!" "Spare our miserable lives!" "Forgive us Lady of Evil!"

"Yep…this guys are stupid!" Jake said returning to his normal size.

"Now what the heck are you saying?" Marceline asked watching them.

"We didn't want to betray The Lord of Evil!" "He forced us to into betraying the Abadeer family!" "Please save your folk from oblivion oh Dark Mistress!"

"Listen to me! I'm not your ruler and I don't give a flip about The Nightosphere! So go away!"

"Wait Marceline…" Finn said "Look at them, they are scared to death!"

The Vampire Queen blew away a lock of hair from her face "I don't care about them…" she said crossing her arms and turning her face away. "Talk about that with my father!"

"Hunson Abadeer can't help us anymore…" "Please save us Marceline Lady of Evil" The demons walked towards her and kneeled down offering her the Nightosphere amulet.

"Ma-Marcy! Isn't that?" Finn reacted nervously pulling Marceline's sleeve. She opened one eye and saw it.

"W-where did you get that?" she asked startled "That's my father's source of power!" she grabbed it and stared at it for a moment "Where is he? What happened to my father?"

"He forced us to betray him" "He wanted the amulet" "To set chaos free into this world" "Hunson Abadeer wouldn't give it to him…" the demons whispered at the same time.

"He…" Marceline replied, "Are you talking about The Lich?"

"Yeah…that guy is using us to find the amulet and freak out everyone in here, but even if we hate our ruler we hate that Lich more. That's why are giving you the amulet. Accept it as yours and save us, Marceline Abadeer."

"Hey we know you!" Finn said pointing him "You're the jailer!"

"Banana ears!" Jake replied.

"Oh it's you…gross as always I see."

Marceline pressed the amulet on her hand "Listen I'll take care of this thing, but I'm not using it, okay!"

"Whatever, you're the ruler now…do what you want with it, but you should try listening to us." The Jailer said.

"What happened to him?" Marceline asked. The demon shook his head slowly. Marceline's eyes widened and lowered her head "Okay…just go hide somewhere and stop causing trouble, we'll take care of the rest…"

"That's fine for us…Let's go!" The Jailer said opening his wings and flying away with the others.

The red sky began to turn orange, then pink and white for finally becoming blue. Marceline opened the parasol and began walking without saying a word. The gang just followed her.

"Finn what was that all about?" Bubblegum asked whispering.

"Something bad must have happened in The Nightosphere…and something bad might have happened to her father as well…"

"The demons came looking for a ruler" Billy said getting in the conversation "They are used to slavery, so when this sort of things happen they have to relay in someone more powerful than them. They wanted her to guide them."

"Yeah…but Marcy hates the idea of becoming the ruler of The Nightosphere…"Finn said.

"Things just get more complicated as we advance…" Jake whispered.

"Wenk!" Gunter said.

/

The Boneyard Kingdom, a place ruled by the Skeleton Princess. There's nothing in here but old and rotten bones, it is a shelter for rejected creatures and now a demon's hideout.

A blacksmith named Gabha is said to live in here and that he has the natural talent of working with magical and cursed weapons. Billy left his sword Nothung with him in order to restore one of the cosmic weapons needed to defeat The Lich. Finn and his friends followed Billy until they reached a wrecked shack in the middle of nowhere. A young man about nineteen was working hard behind a table, hitting strongly and repeatedly a fiery red sword over an anvil with his heavy hammer.

He saw them when he stopped to wipe off his sweat from his forehead. He waved at them smiling. "I see you found the Fountain of Youth! Everything seems to be going on as planned huh?" the blacksmith asked looking at Billy.

"Not everything" he replied shaking hands with him. Then he turned back to present his mates to him "These are the soon-to-be-heroes I talked you about"

"I'm Finn and I'm Jake!" Both said at the same time. "Hi guys!" the blacksmith replied.

"Hey you seem to be a nice guy!" Finn said. "Oh and here's Ice King, Gunter, Princess Bubblegum, The Flame Princess, Lady Rainicorn and Marceline!"

"Nice to meet you." he said looking at them with a smile, until he noticed Marceline's stare on him. He blinked a couple of times in confusion.

"Tell me is Nothung ready?" the orange haired hero asked.

"Yes I was just giving it some final touches, I'll give it to you in a minute!"

The gang decided to sit on the ground while the sword was ready and eat some sandwiches Key-per packed in Finn's pack. Marceline stood up and walked towards the blacksmith holding the parasol with one hand and a package with the other.

"Hey!" she called his attention. A pair of green eyes looked at her "How's it going?" she asked.

"Huh? Excuse me do I know you?" the young man asked.

"Your name is Gabha right? How old are you?"

"Why are you asking me that?" she just blinked "Well…I'm not sure anymore…I'm like a thousand years old or something like that…" he replied.

"I knew it was you!" she said hitting the table with her hand.

"I was who? …Who are you?"

"I understand that you can't remember me" she smiled "we were just kids back then, two lonely kids against the world…" she said extending her arm upwards.

He thought for a moment closing his eyes "Mmm…those mischievous eyes…and that silly smile…Wait…you can't be!" he passed his hand by his brown hair and leaned against the wall "I-Impossible! That was ages ago! When…when the war was just starting…I met a girl, a very strange girl!" he looked at her "I thought she was dead…It can't be you…Marceline?"

"I thought you were dead, too…when they took you away…I gave you up for dead" she said placing the package on the table.

"Then it's true…" he couldn't believe his eyes "Is this real life?, I mean, I really thought that I would never see you again…you've changed!"

"Nah…I just got taller!" she replied "You on the other hand…what the lump happened to you?" she stared at him, his skin color was almost the same as her's, he had the pointy ears and the fangs, but he wasn't a vampire.

"I was attacked by a demon wolf the night I managed to escape from where they locked me."

"I can see that…" Marceline replied "Nice tail, by the way!"

"It always catches people's attention," he said blushing "What happened to you?"

"Pretty much the same story, just change the wolf for a vampire…"

"Wow…that's weird don't you think?"

"Let's call it a lucky conscience" she replied "Now that we recognized each other I dare to ask you a favor…" she unwrapped the package.

"A favor?" Gabha wondered watching her.

"Do you think you can fix this?" Marceline asked revealing her broken axe-bass.

"Whoa! What happened to it?" he asked examining the pieces carefully.

"I used it to hold a trap-door and it got crushed by it…" Marceline answered, "Please tell me you can repair it!"

"It might take some time, but…yeah I guess I can do it, but only because you're asking for it…"

"Great! You saved my life!" she said happily.

"You saved mine more than once, back then…" he looked at her "How's Hambo? Do you still have it?"

Sadness invaded her face "No…I lost him…" she whispered siting on a chair near her.

"How?" You could see on his face that he was truly concerned.

"I was dating a jerk and I didn't realized it until he took Hambo and sold it to witch for a stupid magic wand!"

"What a butt…" he replied "And he knew it was important to you?"

"That's why he stole it on the first place! Because it was valuable, for me…"

"Bastard…" he said leaning on another chair "I bet you battered him up!"

"Yeah…Finn, Jake and I gave him what he deserved; a hard kick in the crotch!, his stomach!, his stupid head and Jake finished him crushing him!"

"Nice…" Gabha replied, "Have looked for Hambo?"

"No…I never feel like doing it…" she answered.

The blacksmith stood up "Here, take this sword and give it to Billy. Meanwhile I'll start working on your axe!" he handled her the sword "I'll personally deliver it to you when it's ready." He said lifting the axe's broken pieces "See you then!"

"Thanks, Gabha!" Marceline replied with the sword in her arms "I'll be looking forward to it!" she walked outside but stopped herself and turned to see him again "Please try not to replace the strings, I had a hard time searching for the ones with the perfect sound, oh! And the volume and tone knobs need some pressure and please try to sharpen more the blade, it's getting rusty."

"Wait…it's this weapon or an instrument?" the blacksmith asked confused.

"Oh…it's both, originally it was just an axe but I added the bass function, it's my favorite bass so try to handle it carefully."

"Are you telling me that you can actually play music with this?"

"Yep…I like the bass; I have a Fender Telecaster –esque bass and a Butterfly bass, but I don't play that one, it's just for decoration… oh! I also have a banjolele in my house, hehe, I'm quite the musician you know?" she turned again "well see you later…" she said while lifting her hand.

"Whoa…she's cool…"

/

"L.S.P. would have been so happy eating these magnificent sandwiches!" Jake said swallowing a piece of bread.

Finn nodded and then noticed the vampire coming out.

"Okay froggy…here's your sword!" Marceline said putting in on his hand.

"Did it work?" The Ice King asked "Is that thing a cosmic weapon now?"

Flame P got closer to see it and just when she sat besides the hero her amulet began to glow intensively. "The Pyrali's sapphire it's shinning?" she said holding it with her hand and staring at it.

"So it's Nothung…" Billy replied lifting it.

Princess Bubblegum took out her device to check it out "Interesting…I have two signals which means that the sword is now one of them, it's curious that a weapon respond's to another when you put them together don't you think?"

"Maybe the weapons want to be together…" Finn said rubbing his chin "Like if they knew what's going on, and are calling each other…"

"Hehe that's crazy!" Jake said.

"But completely possible…" Marceline replied "I say that we should get moving, we don't have all the day to be watching talking weapons!"

"Right!" Finn said standing up "Time to get inside the labyrinth!"

/

Once again the dysfunctional, but forced to be united team took the skies and flew at high speed back to the place where they last saw The Lich. It was hard to believe that, as they passed over the rivers and mountains full of tiny colored houses or the fields painted in dark green by the cloud's shadows, the crystal lakes that reflected the sunlight and the vestiges of an ancient modern civilization scattered everywhere, the land of Ooo was dying slowly right in from of their eyes.

Finn was watching the landscape silently when he noticed something strange near the Red Rock path "Hey! Does someone else hears that?" he asked turning around to see Jake.

"Hear what?" he asked while closing his eyes to focus "Screams…there's some kind of fuss over there!" Jake shouted pointing the canyon under them.

"Someone needs us!" Finn said standing up "Here I come!" he yelled throwing himself from Lady's back; Jake followed him doing the same.

Finn fell opening his arms and leaning forward to gain more speed and just before hitting the ground his was caught by Marceline while Jake was saved by Flame P. "C'mon let's hurry!" he ordered running towards the place where the screams came from.

Behind the rocks they found human-like beings fighting fiercely by the river's edge against amorphous pitch-black masses with sharp white teeth.

"The Hyoomen tribe!" Finn shouted accelerating but Jake stopped him holding him with his stretched arm.

"Lub Glubs! Finn, lub glubs!" he warned him.

"What are those?" Marceline asked floating beside them.

"They are evil violent creatures that like eating flesh!" Finn answered "But I don't understand, they are supposed to hate the light!"

"They are probably covering themselves with the shadows these giant rocks produce…" Marceline replied lifting her head "Let's blow them and crush those things under the rocks!" she said hitting her fist against her opened hand.

"But you could crush the Hyoomen also!" Bubblegum said arriving to the scene.

"Party pooper…" the vampire queen whispered crossing her arms.

Meanwhile the Hyoomen tribe struggled to survive, knowing they didn't have anywhere to run, they tried to defend themselves but they weren't strong enough and were loosing the battle. In the middle of the chaos a Hyoomen girl wearing a panda hat was attacked by two furious lub glubs, which immediately tried to rip off her arms.

"Not hurt Celina!" another Hyoomen voice was heard. A tall woman with a black cat hat jumped over the black creatures punching them away, but each time she hit them the lub glubs just bounced back attacking her again.

"Jake! It's Susan!" Finn yelled trying to get free form his embrace "She needs help!"

"Are you mad?" Jake replied. "Those things are more aggressive than the last time we fought them!"

"We can't let them die!" Billy said holding his sword "It's time to try Nothung's new blade!"

The legendary hero ran towards Susan and slashed the lub glubs making them explode at the time the sword's edge cut them.

"Amazing!" Finn said "Jake did you see that? Billy's sword can destroy lub glubs by just touching them!"

"Sweet!" Jake replied letting Finn go "Let's help the Hyoomen run away while Billy is at it!"

"Yeah!" he looked at Flame P "F.P. the lub glubs are weak against fire, please cover our backs!"

"Don't worry I'll be right behind you!" she said running with him.

Susan fell on the ground holding her unconscious friend; she had been fighting since the lub glubs invaded Beautopia at nightfall when a strange being stole the red flower from the city's heart tower. The lub glubs appeared out from nowhere and forced them to leave their city. Many of her friends lost their lives in the fuss and she was running out of energy. Her wounds hurt but she wasn't going to give up, she knew that she now had a hero heart and was going to defend her family.

"Susan! Hold on we are coming!" she heard that and looked forward, a big smile formed in her face when she saw Finn running with his sword towards her.

"Finn! Please save Hyoomen!" she cried.

"Don't worry my friends and I are here to help!" he replied.

Jake grew and stepped in front of the Hyoomen bending his four knees.

"Okay fish people! The train to safety is about to depart, please climb-" Everyone jumped abruptly over his back. "-Softly…MY SPINE!"

"Quick Jake climb over here!" Princess Bubblegum shouted from a giant boulder "There are no shadows in here!"

"Coming Princess!" he replied.

Finn arrived where Susan was and helped her to get up. A lub glub jumped from behind but before it could hurt him The Flame Princess blasted it away. Susan blinked amazed looking at her. "You are red flower!" she said walking towards her.

"I'm sorry what?" Flame P asked not understanding.

"You are red flower!" Susan repeated, "You are fire!"

"I-I am!" she replied smiling.

"Please kill Lub Glubs with your magic! Susan begs you!"

"Hey Jake is everybody save now?" Finn shouted searching for him.

From the top of the rock mountain Jake replied making a giant thumb up stretching his hand.

"All right!" he turned to look at Flame P "Okay F.P! They are all yours!"

"Yeah! Just get out of here!" she replied making her flames grow.

He nodded taking Susan by her hand "Come with me Susan, this is going to get hot!"

The Lub Glubs accumulated around Flame P growling and exposing their teeth in a menacing way. Flame P frowned "If I were you, I wouldn't get any closer!" she said. The shadow creatures kept appearing "Very well…if that's the way you want it…Let's fire up this place!" she shouted at the time she covered the entire area with her fire.

Finn and Susan managed to take cover behind a rock seconds before The Flame Princess incinerated the place "Whoa! I think she got a little too excited!" Finn exclaimed covering his head.

The Lub Glubs were obviously annihilated; the Red Rock path was covered in soot and some builders were half-melted. "Oh…I think I overdid it a little!" F.P. said passing her hand behind her head.

"A little? You could have killed us all!" The Ice King yelled angrily while jumping out from his hiding spot to where she was standing "What the heck is wrong with you?"

"Don't know…I'm a bit excited I guess…" she replied blushing "You know for the adventure and all that…"

"Hmmph! Well get excited when I'm not around!"

"The important matter is that everyone is safe and those things are gone!" Princess Bubblegum said.

The group reunited on the river's edge, there Susan explained Finn and the others what had happened and they told her about their mission to save Ooo.

Bubblegum asked Finn for one of the Cyclops's tears bottles to aid the injured Hyoomen. She sat and began attending them one by one with Flame P's help.

Meanwhile Susan asked Finn and the rest to help her bury her fallen friends. Marceline and Billy carried the bodies carefully and placed them near the spot where Finn and Jake where digging. Jake turned his hands into shovels while Finn used his hands. Once the graves where ready Marceline placed the corpuses inside and covered them with soil.

The gang watched in silence as the Hyoomen tribe gave the last good-bye to their friends, holding each other's hands and humming something softly and rather nostalgic. Susan placed the animal hats on the graves of their owners, and then she turned around and walked where the rest was.

"Good-byes are sad…always." Susan said siting with her friends "But souls in peace now…we happy for them…"

"Yeah…" Marceline replied, "Good souls are allowed to rest in Glob World…"

Princess Bubblegum looked at Susan; she was still injured from the battle. "Please let me heal your wounds," she said grabbing her hand "Don't worry this doesn't hurt."

"Why don't you take your people to one of the shelters the princesses made to help the Ooocians who lost their homes?" Jake suggested, "You'll be safer there!"

Susan nodded "Celina take them there, Susan stays with you" she said.

"What you want to join us?" Finn replied in surprise.

"Susan wants to help defeat dead guy" she said "Susan strong, Susan useful!"

"That's fine for me…" Billy said, "Every helping hand we can get should be accepted!"

/

The soon-to-be-heroes' team has finally arrived to labyrinth entrance. The skies were gray, informing them about a coming storm. The wind blew strongly waving their hair. Huge stonewalls rose in the horizon crossing various kingdom's borders.

Marceline walked forward "It's so silent in here…it's becoming annoying…" she whispered.

Jake swallowed saliva "Not only that…something in here's sending shivers down my spine."

Princess Bubblegum took out her device "The plan is to follow the signals no matter where they take us. Our first priority is to gather the six cosmic weapons left inside there…then we'll try to make our way to the end of it…are you ready guys?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Then…Let's go…"


	15. Rise of the Undead!

Tale 15: Rise of the undead!

"Bring it on butt!" Finn yelled trying to stand up once again but the goblin jumped on his back and kicked his head to make him eat dirt one more time. "Somebody catch that freaking goblin!" he shouted lifting his dirty face.

"Yearg! Come here!" Marceline said jumping over it "Guys I think I got him!" but just after saying this, the goblin disappeared from her grasp and reappeared in front of her punching her nose "Auwww! You'll pay for that!" she moaned covering her face with both hands.

"That thing isn't normal!" Jake yelled falling onto the red ground and returning to his normal form "Each time we hold him he slicks from our fingers like water!"

"Hehehe!" the small green creature laughed bothering his next victim, The Flame Princess. He jumped behind her and smack her head, she quickly turned firing flames but he was already gone.

She moved her head in every random direction she could imagine searching for it. The goblin appeared on her left smacking her arm. Flame P groaned trying to punch him but he was gone again. "What the? Where are you?"

"Over here!" the goblin said hitting her head again. She yelled angrily sending a blow over her but guess what? He was gone again. "Darn it!" Flame P was loosing the little patience she had.

"Hehehe!" the creature jumped over her head again and began dancing on it "Lalala! You can't touch me! You can't burn me!" the goblin let himself fall and landed strongly on her foot making her groan furiously. Now she was really pissed off. She exploded in flames yelling who knows what at him, but after her rage the little guy just hopped over her and fell softly sticking out his tongue.

"Nah, nah, raging against a poor little goblin like me…so typical of the fire elementals!" he said, "I'll give one more opportunity to roast my butt!" he turned and kneeled down slapping his butt "Come here and get it baby!"

The Flame Princess growled finally losing control over her emotions "I'm going to kill you!" she shouted charging against him, just firing aggressively without aiming.

The fire rapidly spread everywhere forcing the rest of the gang to take cover. The goblin on the other hand just appeared and disappeared randomly evading the flames. "He shouldn't have pissed her off!" Jake shouted while hiding behind a rock "That kind of temper in a fire elemental can really dangerous!"

"You don't say?" The Ice King replied sarcastically.

"Hey! Flame P chill out!" Marceline said, "You're just wasting energy! Ugh! She's not listening!"

"I'll try talking to her!" Finn said standing up.

"No Finn wait!" Princess Bubblegum grabbed his arm to stop him "Look at the goblin, the way in which he dodges F.P's attacks its not random, at least not anymore!"

"What are you trying to say?" he asked bending down by her side.

"Just watch carefully" she replied peeking over the rock "He's going to appear on the left side this time…"

"Hey! You were right!" Finn said after confirming her theory. He turned to look at his friends "We can predict his movements! Now all we have to do is-…" he stared at the group for a moment "Where's Susan?"

"S-she was right here a second ago!" Bubblegum answered looking around.

"How can we lose someone that large?" Jake said.

"Hehehe…just a little closer…" Marceline whispered peeking the fight from their improvised shelter. Everyone turned to see what she was watching.

Susan was walking slowly holding a big rock over her head trying to get closer to the spot where she predicted the goblin will appear. The creature was too distracted evading the flames that he couldn't notice the large shadow suddenly covering his body. "Haha! Jerk! You failed again!" he taunted the princess.

"Haha! You squished jerk now!" Susan said letting the rock fell over him.

"What th-?" he was squashed by Susan.

"Way to go Susan!" Jake shouted jumping out from their hiding. "Not bad for a fish head!"

"Jake that's not-!" Finn was about to scold him but Princess Bubblegum got in the way not paying attention to where she was going only focusing on her device.

"Yes! The device's signal went crazy! That freak must have had the cosmic weapon!" she looked at Susan "Will you please lift that? Thank you!"

Susan did as told and threw the rock away revealing the goblin's squished body surrounded by a green puddle, probably blood? "Gross…" Flame P said arriving where the rest was.

"Oh! Look who has decided to return from psycho world!" The Ice King said noticing her presence.

"Do you want me to take you there?" she replied frowning.

"Hey focus! Will you?" Bubblegum said bending down to take a better look at the creature "Uhg! Who likes to touch slimy stuff?"

"I'll do it…" Marceline said pushing her away "disgusting…" she whispered feeling the goblin's body "Oh! Could it be this?" she held up a small pink metal sphere covered with goblin blood.

Princess Bubblegum pulled Flame P towards Marceline's hand grabbing her by the necklace "Whoa! Careful!" F.P. moaned. The sapphire and the sphere began to glow once P.B held them close.

"There's reaction…no doubt, that sphere is a cosmic weapon…" Bubblegum confirmed letting go of Flame P.

"That's a weapon?" The Ice King said staring at it "It looks more like a toy to me!"

"Wenk!" Gunter replied.

"A toy huh?" Marceline said with a smirk on her face "Hey Bonnibel! Catch!" she threw the sticky gooey covered ball towards the princess.

She caught it and immediately tossed it into Finn's hands "Yeaawk! What's wrong with you?" she complained waving her hands rapidly in disgust trying to remove the blood from them "You can't stop, right?" she said looking at the vampire girl "Not even for a day! Not even when we are putting our lives in jeopardy!"

Marceline laughed, "Believe me it was hard to resist!"

Bubblegum just shook her head._ "Be tolerant Bubblegum, be tolerant with her!"_ she thought to herself.

Finn calmly grabbed the Ice King's tunic and cleaned the sphere with it "Hey what do you think you're doing?" he complained angrily.

"I'm just cleaning it! You have to help with the cause too!" Finn replied.

"You insolent brat!" the Ice King's hands began to send blue sparks "I'm helping with the cause!" he yelled firing ice beams towards Finn. He jumped away and replied shouting "Yeah? How? Falling over me like a cow as you always do!" "FAT COW!"

"SPOILED SCAMP!"

"BLOOSER!"

"BUTTHEAD!"

Billy poked Jake's arm to call his attention and leaned to his ear "there's no such thing as respect among this people, right?" he whispered.

"Hehehe! No!" he replied "That's what makes it fun!"

It took the gang about three hours to reach the first cosmic weapon's signal on Bubblegum's radar. As she had indicated previously the whole fountain of youth adventure they just had, the closest signal was located south, where The Goblin Kingdom used to be. But the only goblin they found was the one Susan killed.

The surrounding area told them they were somewhere near the Desert Lands which were supposed to be northeast from the Bad Lands (Remember that The Lich messed up the whole continent at the beginning of the story?)

Anyhow as they advanced they felt the change in the environment, the air was cold, the sky was clouded and lightened at moments by the thunders that roared in the distance. A storm was coming.

When Princess Bubblegum's radar indicated that the signal was close everyone in the group sighted with relief thanking Glob for not being attacked by anything during their walk, until he appeared. A small green and very ugly (according to the Ice King's description) goblin was suddenly standing in front of them.

P.B. inferred that he had the cosmic weapon and walked forward asking him to give it to her gently.

He refused.

Finn tried again.

He refused.

Bubblegum begged.

He refused.

Flame P ordered him firmly pointing they didn't want any trouble.

He refused.

Billy ordered once more asking for cooperation.

He refused.

Marceline lost it.

He taunted her.

The Ice King fired at him.

He kicked him in the stomach.

Jake tried to catch him.

He tangled him between two rocks.

Susan tried to punch him.

He jumped over her head and stuck out his tongue at everyone.

Everyone charged over Susan.

She fell. A fuss began. They lifted a cloud of dust. They couldn't see anything. They fought. They realized they were fighting against each other. They stopped. The cloud disappeared. The goblin laughed at them. They yelled. The goblin became scared. They ran towards him. He cursed. They cursed. He cursed again. They chased him running in circles for about twenty minutes. They became dizzy. He pushed Finn. Finn fell. He mocked him. He stood up yelling. He pushed him again. Finn fell again.

And that's how we arrived to the start of the chapter…more or less…

Marceline sat on the ground with her legs crossed "So princess…how does that thing works?"

Princess Bubblegum examined the sphere carefully turning it around, poking it and shaking it near her ear. She threw into the air, and then caught it with her left hand. She repeated the action this time catching it with her right hand.

Everyone stared at her paying close attention to what she was doing. The princess played with it a bit more and then lifted her gaze towards them with a serious look on her face. They waited for her diagnostic in silence.

"I…" she whispered. "I have no idea of what I'm doing."

Everyone fell over their backs.

"Seriously Peebles? You can't decipher what it is?" Finn asked getting up again.

"I'm sorry…I can't make a proper examination without my lab equipment" Bubblegum apologized.

"Oh, great!" Jake moaned, "If Princess Bubblegum, the smartest one on the group, can't tell what it is, then that means we are-

"We are screwed…" Marceline finished.

"Yeah…I was going to say something like we are lost or we are finished…but I guess you got a better word to describe our situation…hehe…" Jake replied.

"Goblins can appear or disappear like him?" Susan asked blinking.

"No. They normally can't, they are not very-" Bubblegum cut herself "That's it…that's what he used to fool us!" she exclaimed standing up "Susan you're brilliant!"

"Susan brilliant?" she replied confused "Susan isn't shinning…"

"No, no, girl…" Marceline said, "She means that you're smart!"

"Susan smart!" she repeated happily.

"That gobbling was using the sphere to teleport himself to different spots in very short distances…hmm…I wonder…if that's all this thing can do?" Bubblegum thought.

"We'll have to find it out later…" Finn said standing up "Where to now P.B?"

She put the sphere inside her jean's pocket and took out her device "West…" she whispered.

They began their journey walking at a regular pace between rocky walls of the labyrinth. The wind was blowing strongly forcing Finn and Susan to hold their hats as they walked. The firmament turned darker and the air was colder, soon the first raindrops started to fall softly and within a minute it became a torrential rain. Marceline walked towards Flame P and hold her parasol over her.

"Here…" the vampire said giving her the parasol "I know you'll get wet anyway but at least it'll keep you safe."

"Thanks Marceline" she replied with a smile.

"Oh Glob! I hope the radar doesn't get wet…" Bubblegum said worriedly trying to read it while covering it with her hand. "Oh uh…Guys we have a problem!"

"What is it?" Billy asked looking at her.

"The signal indicates that the next weapon is west, but we have bumped into wall!"

"And what do you expected? We are inside a damn labyrinth!" Marceline replied crossing her arms.

"We could try passing over it don't you think?" The Ice King said.

"No way!" Finn replied, "We can't cheat! It could be dangerous! Who knows what kinds of traps are hidden in here? The Lich could be watching us right now!"

"Please don't say that kind of things!" Jake shivered "You're scaring me!"

"But he's right…" Billy whispered sitting on the ground "We can't take the chance…"

"And if we try going around it?" Finn asked sitting as well.

"It would take forever!" Susan answered, "We can get lost in labyrinth also…"

Jake sat down and smelled himself "I stink like a wet dog!"

"Jake you're a dog…" Finn replied.

"And you are wet!" Flame P said giggling.

"Wet?" "I would say drenched!"

Princess Bubblegum smiled "Guess this is as good as it gets…"

"So what?" Marceline said leaning against the wall "Are we going to stay here until the rain soaks us to our bones?"

Marceline had just finished talking when a thunder crashed against the ground in front of them opening a crack from where a rotten arm rose. Slowly an undead creature came out from the hole followed by more of them.

The gang watched paralyzed in fear leaning against the wall how they were soon surrounded by a bunch walking corpses.

Princess Bubblegum turned her head towards Marceline and shouted "Bones?" "You had to say bones!"

"How the hell I was supposed to know something like this would happen?" she shouted back.

"That discussion is pointless and you know it!" Billy scolded them "Focus on helping us to get out of here!"

A voice spoke into their minds "_This game was starting to get boring so I added a bit of action into it..."_

"That voice!" Finn yelled, "It's him!"

A lightning crossed the heavens momentarily as Billy replied "The Lich…"

"_I must say you've done it very well, so I'll give you and the Ooocians a present…"_

"Present?" The Ice King asked, "You mean like a gift?"

"You are not going to spare our lives, are you?" Marceline replied frowning.

"_HAW HAW HAW! I'm going to do something even better!" "I'll bring back every one who has died in the last one thousand years to life…the zombie life! Behold the rise of the undead! HAW HAW HAW!"_

"Damn you! Big piece of MATH!" Finn yelled angrily.

"As if things weren't bad enough already…" The Ice King whispered holding his penguin.

"Wenk!"

"Change of plans guys!" Billy said, "Let's beat up this zombies then we'll find out what to do!"

"I was about to say the same thing!" Finn said taking out his demon blood sword. "Flame P! It would be better if you stay behind this time, with this storm, getting into the fight could be very dangerous!"

"Yeah don't worry I'll stay with Princess Bubblegum." F.P. replied.

"A tip when fighting zombies guys!" Marceline said charging against one them and slashing its neck with her claws "Always aim for the head and the spine! …Oh, and don't let them bite you."

"I wish we had known that before when were cleaning the princess mess" Jake said "Remember Finn? The Royal promise and all that…haha…the good ol' times."

"Yeah! And the other time when-

"Finn!" Bubblegum scolded him "Focus!"

"That's okay Bonnie everyone makes mistakes…just not the same one twice!" Marceline mocked her "Only really special people do that!"

"Shut it and kill those things already!" The princess replied. "We have to hurry the people in the Candy Kingdom are in great danger! … I'm worried sick about them…" she lowered her head.

"Oh…"

Finn, Jake and Billy fought fiercely but the undead kept coming, there were a lot of them and the reason was obvious; they were on the Desert Lands a place where many people had died before. Clearly it all was planned was The Lich. They had fallen into his trap.

"Not getting anywhere!" Susan tried to speak while dogging attacks "With this!"

"We need to stop them from coming!" Finn said chopping off zombie heads "We need…The Ice King!"

"Yeah!" Jake said "Wait…where is him?"

"Old man hid over there a while ago." Susan said pointing a rock on her left.

"Old man coward!" Jake replied looking at her while taking his appearance and mimicking his voice. Susan giggled.

"Okay Gunter here's the plan…we'll hide in here while Finn and Jake beat up those creepy guys and then-

"And then I'll hit your head!" Marceline said punching him.

"Awwuuch! What's wrong with you coming out of nowhere and hitting people on their backs!" The Ice King moaned rubbing his head.

"Listen!" The vampire queen replied. "I brought you with me because you said you'd make yourself useful! We need you out there so get moving!" she kicked his butt sending him into the air.

"Wenk!"

"I don't understand how you can live with him." Marceline said placing her hand on her waist and staring down at the penguin.

"Wenk wenk! Wenk!" (Translated: Finally someone gets me!) Gunter replied.

The Ice King landed over his face hardly. Finn walked towards him and mocked him for not falling over him as he always does. "Now Ice King we need you to use your magic on those guys like you did with the demons this morning, got it?"

"Finn! Who do you think you are? You can't give me orders!" he replied standing up and cleaning his tunic.

"No! Ice King!" Finn said, "You said you were helping with the cause! Then help with the cause!" he pushed him forward "Freeze those guys! C'mon!"

The Ice King complained but decided to obey when he saw Marceline hissing at him behind the rock. Once the zombies were neutralized, Finn, Marceline and Billy started cutting heads and breaking backbones while Princess Bubblegum and the rest tried to come up with a plan.

"The Lich knew we could beat those guys…what he really wants is to mess with our emotions…" Bubblegum said "If our friends are in danger we won't be able to focus in our mission…"

"He wants us to leave the labyrinth and go help them, that will give him time to drain all the life energy in Ooo before we can reach him…" Flame P commented holding the parasol over her and Gunter.

"What a butt!" Jake replied, "The Lich is very smart, but we can be smarter! C'mon Princess! I know you can find a solution!"

Finn arrived with Marcy and Billy behind; they sat and joined the discussion, the rain kept falling fiercely over their shoulders and the cold wind made them shiver. Finn loved adventures but he was starting to feel homesick, it seemed that everything including the weather, the hunger, the fatigue and their own temper was taking away the best of them.

"What should we do?" Billy said, "We can't stop advancing now, there's no time!"

"We can't let innocent people die either…" Susan replied, "We are at crossroad."

"If a decision must be made, then I say that we should continue in the labyrinth." Marceline said with determination.

Everyone turned to look at her in surprise "Marceline we can't abandon-" Bubblegum was about to reply but the vampire continued.

"I know it's hard but we are not capable of protecting everyone out there, the best we can do for them is to hurry up and take that creep down!"

"She's right" Billy said standing up "If we go back we won't be able to help everybody and we'll be doing exactly what The Lich wants."

"There must be something else we can do…" Finn said, "I hate the idea of letting people die…"

Marceline sighed and placed her hand on his shoulder "I'll give you ten minutes to come up with something good, otherwise we'll continue with our current mission."

"Thanks…" he whispered. "We need to find a way of defending the candy people and the shelters in the Lumpy space and the other kingdoms…" He thought while lifting his gaze, he stared at Flame P and P.B. siting together suddenly it came to him. Like turning on a light bulb an idea illuminated his mind and his face "I got it!" he shouted jumping up.

Jake grabbed him and began shaking him "Tell it bro, tell it, quick! You only have thirty seconds left!"

"We'll ask The Fire Kingdom's army for help!" he said happily.

"What?" Flame P replied, "Do you really think that my father will help you?"

"Yeah Finn, The Flame King must be totally hating us right now!" Jake said.

"I know! Hehe!" Finn was jumping joyfully splashing water around.

"And you say that I'm the crazy one…" The Ice King said staring at the gang.

He walked towards Flame P and held her shoulders "Your dad probably hates me but he can't hate you!"

"What do you mean?" F.P. asked nervously.

"You'll go to The Fire Kingdom and explain him the whole situation, then you'll ask him to form an alliance with The Candy Kingdom!"

"And because The Candy Kingdom just formed an alliance with the other kingdoms, The Fire Kingdom will be in alliance with the others too!" Princess Bubblegum said standing up "Wow! Finn this time you've really impressed me!"

"Hehehe!" Finn blushed.

"There's just a tiny problem with that plan…" Flame P said taking Finn's hands off her "I'm not going back there!"

That caught him unaware "What? Flame P you've got to be kidding!"

"Well I'm not!" she replied angrily "If I go back he'll probably lock me up again! I don't wanna lose this freedom…I don't wanna lose you guys…"

"He won't do that!" Marceline said patting her head "Remember what I told you at my place? Just tell him how you feel, and don't worry I'll go with you!"

"Would you do that for me?"

The Vampire Queen nodded "Sure! We're pals now, remember?"

The young princess smiled gratefully.

"It's done then!" Princess Bubblegum said grabbing the two girls by their shoulders and pulling them close to her "Now listen carefully…. First we'll have to-

"Just a sec Princess!" Jake interrupted "If you go with them how are we going to track the other weapons?"

"Oh! Silly me!" she said slapping her forehead "Come here, I will show you how to use the radar!"

Finn, Jake and the rest listened carefully to her instructions.

**Bubblegum's P.O.V: **"Okay pay attention…you must first learn how to read the radio frequencies, it's a bit tricky at first but once you have inserted the coordinates on the third screen display…"

**Everyone's P.O.V: ****"**在一个特定的频率发送一个强大的无线电波束。当这一阵无线电能量取得了坚实的对象至少有一部分能量会被反射回发射机。这个信号可能不是很强，但敏感的电子接收器可以放大它就像你的"超级听证会"。发射器和接收器上的一个基本的雷达装置，通常安装在靠近在一起就像你的嘴和耳朵"

"Did you get all that?" P.B. asked looking at them "Guys?"

"Could you please repeat the middle?" Finn asked.

"And the last part?" Billy said.

"Oh! And the beginning would be good also!" Jake said.

Princess Bubblegum slapped her face "It's useless I'll have to stay here…" she grabbed Marceline and Flame P again "Please try understand what I say, this is very delicate so be careful, okay?"

Both nodded.

"You'll have to go to The Candy Kingdom first, I need you to bring two things from there; first the Royal Decree of alliance, in that paper I express my wish to form a relation with "X" Kingdom. Fill that space with the word Fire. Then ask Peppermint Butler-"

Marceline interrupted "Which one of those treats was him? I can't remember!"

Bubblegum sighed impatiently "Peppermint Butler! He's always with me! The small one with stripes and a blue outfit and a bow-tie!"

Flame P and the vampire blinked.

"Red stripe man?" Susan asked tilting her head to one side.

"Thaaaankk yoouuu!" Princess Bubblegum replied when someone finally understood her. "If you still can't find him ask someone…" she said turning back to the other girls "Tell him that I need my Ancient Quantum physics and Mechanics book, he surely knows where it is. With that book in my hands I will be able to decipher how the sphere works! Did you get all that?"

Both girls stared at her quietly "Can you please write it down?" Marceline asked "The name of the book? I know I will forget it."

The Princess sighted one more time "Anyone has a pen?"

/

"Okay it's still raining so I'll carry you like that time when we escaped from the collapsing cave or… you can fly like Mary Poppins if you want…" Marceline said chuckling.

"Like who?" Flame P asked confused.

"Forget it, it's a joke from before The Great Mushroom War…"

"Oh…Does that means I will I look ridiculous flying with the parasol?"

Marceline chuckled once more "…Maybe…"

"Turn into a bat then." Flame P replied.

"You ready to go?" Susan asked walking towards them.

Flame P nodded. Finn and the rest arrived to where they were.

"Take care of yourselves…Remember things are worst out there than in here" Billy said to Marceline.

"Now you worry about me froggy?" she laughed, "It's strange how time changes people's thoughts…" He smiled "It's a wise thing to befriend your enemies instead of killing them" the hero replied.

Finn walked towards Flame P "You nervous?" he asked, "About going back to The Fire Kingdom?"

"Just a bit, I'll try trusting Marceline's advice on dealing with your fathers…"

"Are you sure? I heard she and her dad didn't talk to each other like in…nine hundred years or something" he replied concerned.

She bit her lip "It's not like if I have other choice…well…see you later!" she said patting his shoulder.

"See ya!" Finn replied watching her go. Jake suddenly punched his arm "Hey! Why did you do that?" he moaned.

"What the heck was that?" Jake asked angrily.

"What?"

"Bro…if Lady was about to leave on a dangerous mission where she could get killed or gravely injured or I knew I could never see her again…do you think I'll just say _see ya!_ to her?"

"…" Finn scratched his head "mmm yes?" Jake stared at him annoyed "No? …Help me out bro I'm new in this! What would you do?"

"Finn…I would hug her like if there was no tomorrow, I would kiss her lips passionately, I would…man…at least you could have told her I love you or something…She's your girlfriend dude!"

"You're right Jake…I'm so stupid!" Finn replied.

"And what are you doing still here stupid? Go catch her before she leaves!"

Finn started running like crazy "Flame Princess wait!" he slipped with the mud "Oh fudge!" he groaned standing up "Flame P! I've got something to tell you!"

Jake laughed watching him "My little brother is growing…" he smiled to himself.

"Flame Princess!" he said caching up with her "Give me a sec…huff…huff…I need to breathe…"

"Glob Finn…you look like a hobo…" Marceline said staring at him.

"Marcy go away please…I need a moment with her."

"Okay, okay, I'll go away…" she replied lifting her hands "But remember no tongue!"

"ARE YOU MAD?"

"What the plum was that about?" Flame P said walking towards him "Finn…what happened? You're all covered with mud!"

"Who cares? Hug me!" he said grabbing her.

She didn't really understand what happened there but she was happy about it.

Marceline kept walking watching the young couple and bumped into Bubblegum making both fall hardly "Yikes!" The princess moaned, "Watch where- Marceline! What are you still doing here?"

She rubbed her forehead "Oh, I just wanted to get a headache before leaving!"

"Sarcastic as always…" Bubblegum sighed. "C'mon stand up!" she said helping her. "Great! There goes my clean outfit!"

"Hehe, it's funny huh?" Marceline said.

"What's funny?"

"The fast way in which he got over his obsession with you, that's funny…"

"Oh…no, I see what you're trying to do!" Bubblegum replied "But it won't work cause I'm happy for him!"

"I'm trying to do what?" Marceline said confused "I was just saying-…" she drew a smirk on her face "You're the one who threw herself into the water!"

"What do you mean by that?" she asked annoyed.

"Haha! There's nothing you can do now, I got you!" the vampire said pointing her with both arms.

"No I…" The princess blushed "Don't you have somewhere else to go!"

"Yeah…" she turned to Finn and Flame P "Hey Flame P! Time's over, we are leaving!" she shouted transforming into a giant bat.

"Darn it Marceline!" Princess Bubblegum said staring at her "That's flipping scary! Don't even dare to appear in The Candy Kingdom looking like that, you hear me?"

"…Because they will explode…I already know the story…" she said extending her wings "Are you ready Flame P?"

"Yep"

"Hey Bonnie! Aren't you going to wish us good luck? At least say good-bye to Flame P!"

The Princess frowned "I-I was about to-!" … "Don't get me wrong F.P!" she began to wave her arms "Marceline is confusing me!"

Marceline looked at Flame P "Don't listen to her, she got herself confused without any help." The bat jumped into the air and began to fly away "Good luck with your personal issues Bonnie!"

"I-I've got no-! Stop thinking what you're thinking! You hear me? Marceline!" Princess Bubblegum shouted hysterically from the ground.

"Hmmm…yeah whatever…" the bat talked to Flame P "She's jealous…"

The Flame Princess blinked in confusion.

/

It took Marceline around seven hours flying under the storm to reach The Candy Kingdom. According to her the flight was a total pain because it was hard to see with the rain and the wind made her force her wings more than it's usually necessary. Thankfully they made safe and sound, except for the bat's stinky wet fur that had Flame P on the edge of vomiting.

"C'mon! It can't be that bad!" The vampire complained smelling herself "Ugh! Okay…it's bad," she said returning to her normal self.

Flame P laughed closing the parasol, the storm had already stopped by now. She placed her gaze on the distance "That's The Candy Kingdom?" she asked looking at the city in front of her.

"Yes it is, c'mon let's go!" Marceline said pushing her back indicating her to begin walking.

/

"NO! Everything is wrong! WROOONG!"

"Please sir. We're doing the best we can to keep everything in order!" Peppermint Butler said trying to calm down his ruler.

Around a week after Princess Bubblegum left The Candy Kingdom at Peppermint Butler's charge, Earl of Lemongrab arrived claiming that he was on his right to rule such kingdom due to the fact that he was created for that purpose if Bubblegum ever became unable to do so.

As you may have expected he freaked out when he saw the _unacceptable _conditions in which The Candy Palace and the whole city were, he even reacted against the foreign refugees and forced them to take "shelter" in the dungeon.

Drove to the point of exasperation Peppermint Butler was about to use his _influences _on Lemongrab when Manfried the hanging donkey-like piñata announced the arrival of two important guests.

The candy people along with Earl of Lemongrab and Peppermint Butler where still unable to enter the palace and decided to remain on the graveyard. Lemongrab had ordered Cinnamon Bun and Starchy to build his royal tent in the center of the graveyard. It was a huge yellow tent; inside the ground was covered with light green carpets and colored pillows. Lemongrab was sitting over a big purple cushion while arguing with Peppermint and Manfried.

"Two important guests?" Lemongrab asked looking at the piñata "What makes them important?"

"Sir. They are important because they are members of Ooo's royalty…" Manfried replied.

"Royalty, huh?" he thought for a moment "Yeah…royalty, finally somebody worthy to talk with! Not like you two!"

Peppermint Butler and Manfried stared at each other annoyed.

"Why are you standing over there? Let them in!" he ordered screaming.

"Of course Sir." Peppermint replied faking a smile.

"Why are you smiling? Nobody said a joke! Forty minutes dungeon! For both!"

Peppermint Butler sighed and opened the tent to let the two girls in.

"What the hell happened in here?" Marceline said entering "Bonnie's house is-" she stared at Lemongrab for a minute and poked Peppermint with her elbow "Hey shorty! Who the flip is that freak?"

"FREAK?" the lemon-head guy screamed "You dare to call yourself a royal with such inappropriate manners? "One year dunge-!"

"Shut it, Lemon! You can't give me orders!" the vampire replied.

"WHAT?"

"Excuse me Sir." Peppermint Butler said, "This is Marceline The Vampire Queen, she's in good terms with the princess and so she granted her political immunity. You can't sent her to the dungeon."

Lemongrab growled with anger "That's obnoxious!"

"You are obnoxious!" Flame P said frowning.

"AHH! LITTLE GIRL CAN'T CALL ME LIKE THAT! Two years dun-!"

"Sir. You can't sent her to the dungeon either! She's with the vampire queen!" Peppermint interrupted again.

"You stop cutting my orders! THREE YEARS DUNGEON FOR YOU!"

"Hey! Tell me who are you and what gives you the right to send everyone to the dungeon?" Marceline said.

"I'm Earl of Lemongrab! Heir to The Candy Kingdom Throne!"

Both girls chuckled "What an awfully high pitched voice!" Marceline laughed, "Wait! You said heir to the throne?" she looked at Flame P.

"If I'm not mistaken, in order to be Princess Bubblegum's heir…he has to be!" The Flame Princess said nervously.

"Whoa! Are you Bonnibel's son or something like that?" the vampire asked not believing her words.

"Something like that," Peppermint said "The Princess created him on her lab, so technically he's like her son. A very unwanted son!"

Marceline blinked staring at Lemongrab with her mouth open in disbelief, two seconds after the shock she burst in laughter "I can't wait to tease Bonnibel with this! Hahaha!"

"Show some respect towards me!" Lemongrab ordered "Why are you here?"

"Oh, that's right, we didn't came looking for you, so…lump off!" Marceline said pointing outside.

"Who's Peppermint Butler?" Flame P asked.

"That would me, milady" the small candy said making a bow.

"Great! Listen we need to retrieve two important things from you; a Royal Decree of alliance paper and…Marceline how's the book called?" F.P asked poking her arm.

The vampire took out a small paper from her shirt and passed it to Peppermint.

"Oh yes…I have it in-" he was about to reply when Lemongrab interrupted.

"NOWHERE! You must go to the dungeon now! FIVE YEARS!"

"Oh, c'mon man…" Marceline sighed "At least let him give us the freaking book, then you can sent him anywhere you want…" she raised her shoulders.

"Miss …you are not helping!" Peppermint Butler replied frowning at her and crossing his arms.

"Listen Lemongrab! This is some serious business between The Fire Kingdom and your mommy, so please let him go!" Marceline shouted angrily.

"No, no, no, NO! DUNGEON NOW!" the lemon guy screamed.

"Are you sure this guy is related to Princess Bubblegum?" Flame P asked looking at Peppermint Butler.

/

"ICE KING!" Finn yelled running as fast as he could "I told you! Passing over the wall was a bad a idea!"

"Yeah?" Ice King replied "Then why you did offer yourself so kindly to jump over it first?"

"Discussing that won't save us now!" Princess Bubblegum said "Run faster!"

Maybe it was because they had the urgency to hurry, or because they were too tired to go around the wall. In any case, this strange group of people, penguins and dogs decided to go over the wall, activating in the process one of my favorite traps…do you know the giant ball of death? It's a classic when it comes to dungeons and stuff, any good adventure story should have one! And now here you have it, chasing our heroes, does that make this a good adventure story?

"Jake, do something!" Finn shouted running behind him "We are going to get crushed!"

"I can't think in anything right now! I'm sorry bro!" Jake replied. "I'm sorry for everything!"

"I'm sorry for everything too!"

"I'm sorry for erasing your high score on Beemo's version of Space invaders!"

"I'm sorry for using your viola to keep the door open when it's hot inside!"

"I'm sorry for- what?"

/

"Let him out, let him out, let him out, let him out, let him out, let him out…" Marceline said while poking Lemongrab's arm with a stick she found on their way to the dungeons.

"STOP…TOUCHING!" he replied screaming as usual.

"Technically…she's not touching you…" Flame P said pointing the stick.

"STOP POKING!"

"Now, that's more accurate…" Flame P said.

"It's no use…" Peppermint said holding the jail bars "I'm sorry I can't help you…"

"This is bad…" Marceline whispered, "The undead could wake up in any minute…" she said talking to Flame P.

"There must be something we can do to fool him!" F.P. said watching the lemon from a distance.

"My Glob! Kill me and turn me into bacon!" Mr. Pig said looking at them through his jail bars "If isn't it Marceline and Flame P?"

"Oh, yes they are!" Tree Trunks said getting closer "Good night, how are you doing?"

"Did you say…Marceline and Flame P?" Manish Man said from another jail.

"Hehehe! They are here!" Key-per said jumping happily "Take us out of here girls!"

As it was previously told every foreign refugee was sent to the dungeon, because Lemongrab couldn't stand the mess they were creating in his territory. It seems that Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig went to The Candy Kingdom after The Lich consumed their house and The Ice Kingdom and that the same thing happened to Mannish Man and Key-per.

"Hi…what are you doing here?" Marceline asked walking to Tree Trunk's jail "Don't tell me…your home…"

"It's all gone…" Mannish said looking at them "Soon after you leaved Mount Cragdor was consumed…we barely make it alive!"

"Everything was lost…" Key-per replied lowering his head.

"Everything?" Flame P asked not believing what she heard.

"Almost…" Flambo said coming from under a bed.

"Yeah, not everything…we managed to save the Cherry Heering!" Mannish said showing them the bottles.

Marceline snapped her fingers "We should make a toast for that!"

"Marceline!" Flame P frowned "There's no time to drink! We have to-"

Marceline bent down and silenced her placing her finger on her mouth, then she made a signal to everyone locked in the jails to get close to her "Listen to me guys…" she whispered "I have an idea, that will help us get rid of that lemon freak…"

"Sounds interesting!" Tree Trunks whispered, "What do you have in mind?"

Marceline chuckled "We'll get Lemongrab drunk! He'll become pretty dizzy and if we're lucky he'll probably fall asleep too!"

"And then we can take the dungeon keys, free everyone and lock him up!" Mr. Pig said.

"Yeah! He won't know what happened to him!" Marceline said smiling.

"Pretty clever Miss Marceline, that's an awesome idea!" Peppermint Butler said clapping his hands.

"Why are you clapping? Lemongrab said walking towards them "Tell me what are you celebrating?" he ordered.

"Oh, nothing…" Tree Trunks said "We were just admiring your authority and bravery for keep things in order while we are in the middle of this chaos!"

"Hmmm…you were doing what?" he replied with curiosity.

"You heard it, Lemongrab…" Marceline said pulling Flame P close to her "We give up, you win!"

"Yeah! ...You're too much for us!" Flame P said trying to fake a smile.

"Yes…I am! Now LEAVE!" he ordered pointing the door.

"Leave?" Marceline said walking towards him "It is indecorous for a queen to leave without inviting her defeater to a toast! What do you say Lemongrab? Will you join me to a drink?" she said punching his shoulder softly.

"Well…I'm not sure, …" he said staring at her with mistrust "But if it is something indecorous…"

"Do not speak another word!" the vampire said taking his arm "Come with me partner!" she turned and blinked one eye to her friends. "I know just the place!"

"I hope you're not talking about The Candy Tavern…" he said walking with her.

Everyone covered their mouths trying not to laugh.

/

Meanwhile the other part of the team was still running from the giant rock ball rolling behind them, the worst thing was that they were running out of road. Yes another rocky wall was standing in front of them blocking the way.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Billy said angrily "Another wall! What's wrong with this place?"

"Maybe it is a labyrinth!" The Ice King replied with sarcasm.

"Enough! Susan stops rock!" she said stopping and turning towards the coming giant ball. "Stand back!" she ordered to her friends.

"Are you mad?" Jake said, then he looked at Finn "I knew she was crazy!"

"I'm sorry Susan! This time I have to agree with him!" Finn shouted, "You're not that strong!"

"I'm Susan Strong! I save partners!"

"This one wants to get killed!" The Ice King said blinking.

They reached the wall and leaned their backs against it, watching the tall woman face the giant ball of death.

"I don't care how strong she thinks she is, with that amount of mass and speed that thing is unstoppable right now!" Princess Bubblegum said, "What should we do? There's no escape this time!" she took out the pink metal sphere from her pocket "C'mon! You're supposed to be a cosmic weapon! We need a miracle! Why won't you work?" she screamed holding it tight between her hands.

Suddenly the sphere began to glow, it's bright light blinded her and her teammates. The ball was about to impact Susan's hands when everyone disappeared from the scene. The giant rock ball crashed against the wall destroying it.

/

"Hahaha! So… you live in a castle all by yourself?" Marceline laughed holding a wineglass on her right hand.

"Hiccup! Yes….I…also have a hiccup! …Lemon camel…" he replied.

They were sitting on the Candy Tavern's drink bar, sharing their fourth bottle…of course Marceline didn't drink that much, all she wanted was to fool the annoying being Princess Bubblegum had created. Her plan was working perfectly, the poor guy was already drunk, and he didn't even know what he was talking about.

"Here!" she said giving him another glass "Have some more!"

He was about to grab it when he fainted hitting his face over the table. Marceline looked at the bartender "Help me carry this dump to the dungeons!" she said stealing the keys from his belt.

Flame P was sitting on the ground hugging her legs, she was falling asleep and Tree Trunks tried to keep her awake talking about her adventures with Finn and Jake.

Marceline entered holding Lemongrab's arms while the bartender held his legs. They opened every jail and placed the drunk ruler inside one of them. Then Marceline asked everyone to leave The Candy Kingdom, telling the candies that the time had come for them to become refugees as well. The Lumpy Space became their next destination.

Everyone began to pick up their stuff and with one last sad look at their beloved homeland the candy people marched towards the frog and mushroom portal opened by L.S.P. herself.

Before entering the portal Peppermint Butler gave them the paper and the book and asked what kind of business the princess wanted with The Fire Kingdom.

"It's an…umm…." Marceline tried to explain, "Would you freak out if I told you that The Lich woke up the dead and they are coming to eat us?"

Flame P slapped her own face.

"Miss Marceline you have just told me that, and as you can see you're lucky! That kind of things don't freak me out like the others, otherwise I'd have exploded out of fear!" Peppermint Butler replied, "I think the alcohol is affecting you too…"

"Yeah…probably you're right…it's been a long day,…" she said holding her head "Anyway, the idea is to form an alliance with The Fire Kingdom so they can protect you."

"Do you think they will accept? It's been centuries since The Fire Kingdom had a relationship with another land…they like to work by themselves."

"I-I'm not sure, this was Finn's idea…" Marceline replied before sneezing.

"Are you okay?" Peppermint Butler asked giving her a tissue.

"I'm just cold…and I'm still wet…don't worry."

"If you want I can lend you some of Princess Bubblegum's clothes, if think you have the same size more or less…"

Marceline laughed "Are you crazy? Me? Wearing Bonnie's pink stuff? Can you imagine that Flame P?" there was no response "Flame P?" she turned around.

"She fell asleep…" Peppermint said.

The vampire sighed blowing a lock of black hair from her face "Why do kids fall asleep everywhere?"

"Must be a pretty tiring mission you are trying to carry, don't you think?"

"Yeah…pretty tiring…" she replied holding the sleeping girl on her back with her arms "Sometimes I don't know how much we'll be able to resist…"

Peppermint Butler smiled "For the sake of the world, I hope you never give up…that's the way of the heroes."

"Hehehe…heroes…Finn and froggy are the only ones I know."

"Each time we care about another person we become heroes, Miss Marceline, never forget about that!"

She stared at him for a moment and walked a few steps backwards before taking off from the ground "I hope you're right, Peppermint! I hope you're right…"Marceline said disappearing in the darkness of the night.

"Of course I am…" he replied.

Peppermint Butler looked at The Candy Kingdom one more time; he had been working for the royal family for years, always staying by the princess side. That palace had been his home and everyone inside it his family, it felt strange to go away, leaving all you've ever known behind. A weak sound took him out of his thoughts "They are coming…the undead…"

/

Marceline and Flame P had to arrive fast to The Fire Kingdom and hope that The Flame King accepts the alliance, while Finn and the others were still dealing with the labyrinth. Princess Bubblegum's sphere teleported them to a spot behind the giant ball and they watched it crash against the wall, giving them a short cut to the next weapon.

They still couldn't figure out how the heck did that happen, but they felt very lucky, things weren't that bad after all.

"I'm going to need some really long vacations when this is over!" Bubblegum said while running.

"Don't even say it!" Jake replied. "Are we close to the next weapon?"

"We're almost there!" the princess replied.

"Do you think that Marceline and Flame P made it to The Candy Kingdom?" Finn asked running behind them.

"I'd like to think that…yes!" Jake said "But…you know what's worrying the heck out of me?"

"What?"

"That we told the candy citizens to take shelter at the graveyard, and taking into consideration today's past events…that must be the most dangerous place to be right now, especially for the candy people…"

"Ummm…. let's try not to think about that…" Finn replied.

…Good idea…

Susan Strong was running on the head of the team, that means, everyone was behind her…just for the record…So when she abruptly stopped her pace, everybody suffered a funny phenomenon known as domino effect and fell over each other after bumping with her.

"Susan! What the-?" Finn moaned kicking The Ice King away from him.

"No more…road…" she whispered bending down and watching the ground "If we keep running, we fall into hole…"

"She's right…" Princess Bubblegum walking towards the road's edge "There's a big hole in our way!"

Jake took out a map from Finn's bag "This must be The Hole Near to The Center of The World, it used to be located southwest from the Grasslands"

"Do you think that…if we jump inside there we'll reach the center of the world?" Finn asked peeking inside it.

"As messed up as this continent is, you'll arrive anywhere except the center of the world!" Billy said.

"What should we do now? Cross it?" The Ice King asked.

"It's so very…large…" Jake said "I don't know if could stretch us to the other side…"

"Perhaps we don't need to cross it…" Princess Bubblegum said looking upwards with her radar device on her hands "The signal it's located west, but not from this height…"

"Are you saying that the next weapon is on the sky?" The Ice King asked.

"Yep…on the sky…in The Cloud Kingdom to be precise." She replied.

"The Cloud Kingdom?" Everyone gasped.

"But…we will need Lady Rainicorn's help to get there!" Finn said.

"Maybe…I can help…"

"Ice King?"

"Yeah! I can create a stairway to heaven made of ice!" he replied happily.

"That reminds me of a song I know…" Jake said rubbing his chin.

"So finally you're helping with the cause!" Finn said smiling.

"I TOLD YOU I'M HELPING ALREADY!"

"Stop shouting and put those magic fingers to work!" Jake said pushing him to the edge.

"Okay, okay, get ready to be amazed by my awesome and icy magic powers!" The Ice King said laughing maniacally.

"Wenk!" Gunter said looking at him.

"What? Of course I've done this before!"

"I don't know why but I'm starting to think this isn't a good idea…" Jake said looking at Susan. She just smiled.

/

"We are finally getting close to the Fire Kingdom…" Marceline thought to herself "I just hope Finn's plan works…"

She kept flying while carrying a slept Flame Princess on her back, until something hit her. She didn't know what it was, but it was frightening, she could feel shivers going down her spine and then it burned. The bite mark on her neck was hurting her as hell. She placed her hand over it trying to relief the pain, this had never happened to her before. She felt fear, a fear she hadn't felt before since…since that happened.

Marceline shook her head trying to ignore the bad feeling that had come to her so suddenly "It's nothing,…" she said to herself "Maybe I'm just too tired or nervous…" she began to fly again. "I'm okay…I may have just caught a cold because of that storm, yes…that explains the sweat and the shivers! She chuckled "I'm good at tricking others, but I'm terrible at tricking myself…"

She looked at the sky feeling defenseless "You're always there bothering me when I don't want to see you…" she whispered "But are never there when I truly need you…Dad where the hell are you…?"

* * *

If you're wondering what happened to Lemongrab, yes, they left him behind in the dungeon forgetting that the flesh eating-zombies are coming, but don't worry he was kidnapped by hug wolves, he'll be fine.

**Author notes:**

Hi! It's been awhile since I published this story…what do you think about it so far? Do you like where it is going? Do you think it sucks? Do you hate it? Do you want to kill me? LOL Remember you can tell me whatever you want, if it's boring, if I made horrible orthographic or spelling mistakes, if I'm using a lot of dialogs (because I have a tendency to do that) or if I'm boring you with long author notes…feel free to flame me if you need to, it helps building writing skills.

Thanks to the reviewers, you help me get inspired! Anyway see you in next chapter I promise there will be action in it and Nightosphere beings later in the story…because they are cool…


	16. Who's Got the Worst Part?

Tale 16: "Who's got the worst part?"

"Let's get this party started!"

"Turn up the music!"

"We are…Bears!"

"_Partying in the Cloud Kingdom! We don't wanna get stuck in boredom!"_

"What's with all that noise?" Princess Bubblegum asked while climbing the ice stairs.

"Cloud people love parties." Finn answered following her.

"I know but, this is not the time for having parties, everyone should be in state of emergency!" she replied.

"Maybe the end of the world as we know it is a reason to celebrate!" Jake said.

"That's stupid."

As you remember, the gang was trying to make their way up to the heavens because Princess Bubblegum's radar indicated the presence of a cosmic weapon in there. With the help of the Ice King, they started their ascending using an ice-made stairway. He created the path as they advanced, everything seemed to be working as planned but there was a small detail they forgot to evaluate before climbing 29,029ft high (height they reached walking all night long) using ice stairs. They were on the Desert Lands, the sun came out and the temperature was also going up with them. Can you guess what's about to happen?

"How much do we have to climb to reach the Cloud Kingdom?" Finn asked, "My knees are killing me!"

"We must be very close if we can listen to that loudly row up there!" Bubblegum replied.

Suddenly a "crack" noise was heard behind them.

"What wus that?" the Ice King asked turning around.

"I don't know…and I don't wanna guess it either…" Billy said stopping his pace.

The "crack" noise became louder as if it was following them.

"Oh Glob…don't tell me…" Bubblegum said not wanting to look behind.

The stairs behind them collapsed.

"It's melting!" Susan shouted, "Run! Now!"

"Run?" Jake said "We've been climbing and running since yesterday, I don't think I can-"

"Out of my way!" Princess Bubblegum yelled kicking his butt while running at her highest speed.

What the heck is going on? You may be asking, isn't it supposed that the higher you go, the colder it gets? Well that would be true according to our world's rules, but we are not talking about our world, we are talking about the land of Ooo! The rule here, which seems more accurate to me in contrast with ours, is that; the higher you go, the closer you get to the sun so, the environment gets hotter. Makes sense right?

Finn ran desperately trying to keep himself on the icy road, something really hard to do because it was melting and it became awfully slippery "Ice King you are so stupid! Didn't you think about this before making us climb 29,029ft high?" Finn yelled.

"Excuse me, you could have thought about that too!" the blue old man replied angrily.

"Do you know what will happen if we fall? There's a giant hole beneath us and if we fall inside, who knows where we might end up! The boy kept shouting.

"In China?" the Ice King answered.

"What the cramp is China?"

"I don't know! It just came into my mind!"

"It's official the Ice King is an-!"

"Shut up and run faster!" Billy scolded them both.

/

"Morning, sleeping beauty!" Marceline said noticing that her companion was waking up.

They would have already arrived to the Fire Kingdom, if only the sun hasn't appeared in the sky. Marceline decided to take shelter under a big rock's shade; she placed Flame P against the rock and sat by her side waiting for her to wake up.

When the Flame Princess finally woke up the vampire asked her for the parasol, the girl blushed remembering that she left it behind at the Candy Kingdom's dungeons. Now they'll have to wait in there the whole day until the night falls again.

"Wonderful!" Marceline said frowning with her arms crossed, a harsh tone in her voice. Flame P realized that her friend's mood wasn't at its best today, it was better…not to reply.

/

Meanwhile the rest of the team struggled to reach the Cloud Kingdom before the stairs collapse under their feet and they fall into the unknown. Now they could see it, all they had to do was to push themselves a little more, just a bit more.

"C'mon Ice King!" Princess Bubblegum said running behind him "Keep on creating that stairs! We are almost there!"

"But I'm out of energy!" he cried.

The crack reached them, the ice broke and they fell, just as simple as that. In a land where nothing makes sense and the laws of nature can be twisted or broken, there's only one law that remains untouched… much to their misfortune; the law of gravity.

"I knew this wasn't a good idea!" Jake screamed holding Susan's cat hat tail.

"If we die we are going to be dead!" Ice King yelled falling upside down.

"Wenk!" (Translated: No…Really?) Gunter replied with an angry stare.

"But Ice King…you can-" Finn just realized something "The Ice King knows how to fly!" he yelled. Two seconds after that, the gang was over him.

Gunther was hanging from his beard, Finn was over his head covering the old man's eyes with his hands, Susan held his waist, Princess Bubblegum grabbed Susan's back, Billy her left arm and Jake was hanging from her right foot.

"Agh! Fools!" the ice wizard moaned, "I can't hold all this weight!"

"Then hold it!" Bubblegum ordered violently.

They say that when you're about to die, your whole life passes in front of your eyes…Well, when Jake's life was passing before his eyes he saw himself catching three bottles that Mannish Man threw at them before leaving Mount Cragdor; Two of them filled with Cyclops's tears and one with stamina magic potion.

"That's it!" Jake exclaimed opening his eyes "Finn I'm going to take something from your bag!" he stretched his arm and opened it to grab the stamina potion. "Give this to the Ice King!"

Finn saw the small bottle and smiled understanding the plan. He opened the cork holding it with his teeth and pulling the glass container with his hand backwards, still holding himself to the Ice King's face with his other arm. The lovely "pop" sound leaded to another action "Ice King open your mouth and swallow this!" Finn ordered.

"Oh, no! That thing must taste horrible!" he replied.

"Ice King… Swallow it!"

"No, no, no, you can't force me!"

"Don't start acting like a scamp!" Princess Bubblegum said, "Do you want to die?"

"I' m telling you no!"

"ICE KING!" the whole team shouted.

"I'm not drinking it!" he replied.

Finn lost his patience and grabbed the Ice King's nose to pull his face and open his mouth to pour the green liquid into it "Now swallow!"

"Nmmnmm" the Ice King said shaking his head from one side to the other.

"Okay, that's the way you want it? Then you'll have it!" Finn said covering the old man's nostrils "Want to breathe? Then swallow the math potion!"

There was no other alternative, if he wanted to breathe he had to surrender and swallow the liquid. Making a disgusted gesture the Ice King drank the stamina potion. Finn released his face.

"Blehh! Darn it! I knew it tasted like gobbling piss!"

"You have tasted goblin piss?" Jake asked.

"Of course not!"

"And how do you know what it tastes like?"

"Does that really matter more than saving our lives?" Billy asked closing his eyes, dealing with this people was becoming something pretty obnoxious.

Soon the stamina magic potion made effect on the old wizard's body filling it with a gigantic amount of energy. He flew like a rocket pulling the gang with him at an incredible speed. But the Ice King was unable to control the sudden burst of stamina and passed over the Cloud Kingdom.

"What the? Ice King the Cloud Kingdom is beneath us now!" Princess Bubblegum yelled.

"I know!"

"Then why you taking us up?" Susan asked looking at him.

"I can't control myself!"

"Nice…we'll end up in space…" Finn sighed.

They did end up at space, holding their breath they saw the planet behind them. That slightly flattened blue sphere with green spots scattered everywhere and covered with white fluffy clouds that turns slowly around the sun looked so beautiful with it's missing chunk of earth on one of the hemispheres. Twinkling stars surrounded it in the black immensity of the infinite and mysterious universe they lived in. The Earth had a soft blue glow around it, which made everyone feel sleepy. It was truly a breathtaking sight…

Breathtaking? Breath! These guys are choking! Go back to the Earth now fools!

Billy tried to pull his companions down back to the planet, he managed to do it, the only problem now was that they were falling at high speed from space. Once they entered the atmosphere their bodies caught fire. They screamed leaving a gray trail of smoke behind.

/

Flame P was sitting on the ground watching a group of ants passing by. She was awfully bored. Marceline was beside her hitting her own forehead impatiently with her fingers while mumbling only Glob knows what. The angry look was still present on her face. The Flame Princess would have loved to ask what's wrong with her, but she didn't know how the vampire could react to the question, she was pretty scary so she decided to remain silent. Flame P tried to think in other things placing her eyes on the sky and then she saw them falling, of course she didn't know it was her friends falling from space.

"A shooting star?" she whispered looking at it.

"No." Marceline replied, "It's probably another satellite out of orbit…I've seen a hundred of them before, anyway, who cares? It's just space junk."

"Hmmph…yeah…junk…" she repeated following it with her gaze.

/

"C'mon people I want to see you moving! Let's drive the fear away with a coffeemuffyloffy dance!" Party Pat ordered standing on high cloud while waving his hat.

"Yay!" Bears and cloud people yelled cheerfully looking towards him "Huh?" they noticed the fireball coming behind their leader and began screaming and running crazily.

"No guys! That's not what I meant by coffeemuffyloffy! You gotta have style, like me…" the taller bear said not paying attention to what was coming, he blinked and turned "Oh…nice…someone has come to join us!" he crouched quickly to dodge the fireball. "There you go guys…"

The gang crashed into a pool so hardly that all the water it contained was lifted into the air and fell over them again. Thankfully or should I say obviously? The pool was made of soft and fluffy clouds so the impact was reduced to it's minimum.

The wet bears and the cloud people bended down to look closely at what had fallen from the space. Cubby the smallest bear leaned to water almost touching it trying to get a better look when suddenly a green arm rose from it startling him to death as he jumped backwards.

Billy came out of the water as well as the other team members hanging from the pool's edge gasping for air and coughing. Their clothes were almost worn out and they had several burns on their skin.

"Darn it!" Princess Bubblegum said trying to get out of the pool "We could have really died this time!" she slipped and fell on the water again.

Finn lied down on the clouds still coughing "That…was some crazy ride…huh?" he fainted.

/

The Flame Princess sighed loudly, it's been hours since they sat under that rock, they had barely talked to each and the sun was still shining bright. Flame P began to draw random lines sinking her finger on the scorched earth that surrounded the area. They were on the borderline between what used to be the Ice Kingdom and the Rock Candy Mountains. She looked at her friend.

Marceline's eyes were now closed, but she knew she wasn't sleeping she was lost in thought. Something concerned her gravely and she had no way to find out what it was, she could only hope it wasn't something bad.

Flame P frowned, sitting and do nothing was starting to get her anxious. She had to find a way to drain her energy so she decided to stand up.

"I'm going for a walk." She said not waiting for a response.

"Don't go too far" Marceline replied opening one eye.

Flame P replied with a nod and leaved the place. She hadn't made a great distance when she suddenly heard a weak cry somewhere near. The Flame Princess decided to ignore it and continued walking. The cry became louder. She sighed and began to look around following the sound.

Around a rocky corner beneath the mountain's shadow a fire wolf cub was crying sitting next to a puddle of crystal clear water.

"What's this?" Flame P asked bending down close to the small animal "Are you okay? What's wrong?" The little wolf pup continued crying. "Hey what's-" she cut herself noticing the puddle.

"Did you hurt yourself with the water?" she asked. The pup cried again.

"Please…help…" a weak voice next to her said.

Flame P got startled and began moving her head in several directions "Who's there?" she said, "Who's asking for help?"

"Over…here! I'm the…puddle…"

"You are in the puddle?" Flame P asked crouching to have a better look "Are you an ant?"

"I'm the puddle!" Flame P's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Marceline! Marceline!" she shouted carrying the fire wolf cub in her arms while running back to their shelter "Marceline!" "You've got to see this!"

The vampire fell asleep after Flame P leaved, so her screams interrupting her sleep just made her bad mood worst "What is it? Is something wrong?" she shouted standing up.

"No…well…I…" Flame P mumbled trying to explain the situation.

"Speak now! What is it?" Marceline yelled losing her patience.

The Flame Princess swallowed saliva before talking "It's a puddle…asking for help!" she said nervously.

"What!" Marceline noticed the wolf on Flame P's arms "Why are you?"

"Listen it's hard to explain; I found this little guy crying over there" she pointed the place where she just came from "he was crying for a puddle and the puddle asked me for help, he said he's dying!"

"The pup is dying?" Marceline asked rubbing her eyes.

"No! The puddle!" Flame P became anxious "Just come with me!" she grabbed her arm and pulled the vampire out.

Almost instantly the sunlight burned Marceline's skin making her groan angrily and retreat abruptly into the shadows "Flame Princess are you mad? The sun!" she yelled furiously.

"Darn! I forgot about it! Okay?" Flame P replied yelling as well. (I'm starting to wonder if putting two girls with anger problems to work together was a good idea…) "Stop complaining now! Turn into a bat or something! You have to come with me!"

"Why?" Marceline replied shouting.

"Because of the puddle! It's dying!"

"And why should I care about a stupid puddle? It's a puddle!"

"It's not just any puddle! He's asking for help!"

"I think the heat is affecting you!"

"Marceline…come with me NOW!" Flame P turned into flames.

"Don't scream at ME!" Marceline replied turning into a monster.

Both girls began to growl at each other fiercely and started to fight on the ground punching, biting, scratching and pulling each other's hair until the fire wolf cub began to cry loudly again. They stopped and watched him cry. Marceline and Flame P returned to their normal forms letting themselves go.

The Vampire Queen sighed in defeat "What's wrong with him?" she whispered.

"His friend needs us…" Flame P replied.

Marceline turned into a small bat so Flame P could cover her from the sun with her hands. They arrived where the puddle was and she returned to her normal form again. The wolf ran towards the puddle and began to lick it carefuly while making soft growl sounds. "It's…okay…friend…I won't…leave you alone…" the puddle said weakly.

"I was starting to think that you were becoming insane…" Marceline said looking at the water; two rocks floating on it formed his eyes.

"Don't worry…it was hard to believe, umm sorry for punching you…" Flame P apologized.

Marceline looked at her with a neutral expression on her face "Sorry for the bite, and the scratch…and the hits…it's just that…I don't feel like myself today…"

The Flame Princess smiled "I can see that, now how can we help you?" she talked to the puddle.

"I'm not…a puddle…I'm a snow…golem…I'm…melting, I need cold…" he answered.

"The Ice Kingdom just disappeared, there's no more snow in Ooo…" Marceline said.

"P-please…I can't leave my friend alone…his parents…died…he needs…me." The golem replied.

The wolf cub began to lick Marceline's arm, it burned but she didn't give it importance. Flame P stared at her.

"What can we do to help them?" she asked.

"We should take them with us…" Marceline replied.

"What?"

"The Ice freak is the only source of cold powerful enough to revive this guy left in Ooo, we can take them to him and then leave them in one of the shelters. It's the only option I can come up with if you want to save him," she said as she sank her fingers in the water and move it calmly.

"Yes…you're right, but how are we going to carry him?" Flame P asked, "We need some kind of container, like a bucket or a bottle…"

Marceline stared at the puddle for a second and then looked at F.P "I saw a small village while we flew over here last night, maybe we can find something useful there!"

"Yeah!" Flame P replied happily grabbing the wolf "Did you hear that? Your friend will be fine!"

"Bark!" he replied.

Both girls smiled watching the strange duo celebrate "I'll stay here with them you go to the village and ask fo-" the vampire stopped talking and began to smell the air.

"W-what is it?" F.P. asked.

"It smells like rotten flesh" Marceline replied standing up "Must be the zombies, they are spreading quickly…we can't stay in here!"

"But what about them? We can't abandon them!" the Flame Princess said frowning.

"I know, I know…" Marceline replied taking off her shirt and her boots.

"What the heck are you doing?" Flame P asked watching her alarmed.

Marceline groaned annoyed "What do think? I'm picking up this guy!" she looked at the puddle "Now stay calm, I'm going to use my shirt to absorb you and get you in one of my boots!"

The Vampire Queen began to rub the ground with her shirt absorbing the melted snow golem. When she finished, she took one of her boots and twisted the wet clothe over it making the water fall inside it. She repeated the process about twenty five times before drying the dirt "Are you complete?" she asked looking inside her shoe.

"Mmmm cotton! Super absorbent!" he replied.

"Great" she looked at Flame P and threw the wet shirt at her along with the boot "Your heat will dry my shirt, the golem will be in my left boot so take care of them!"

"Wait…what's the other boot for?" she asked pointing it.

"I'll hide inside it! That way I'll be safe from the sunlight and I won't be walking around wearing only my bra!" Marceline replied turning into a bat again.

"Oh…yeah…good point!" Flame P said staring at the small bat inside the boot.

The Flame Princess grabbed Marceline's clothes with one arm and the wolf pup with the other, it wasn't an easy task but she managed to make it. "Now take us to that village!" the bat said looking at her from the boot. "C'mon quick! The undead are getting close!"

"It's not easy to move carrying all this stuff!" she replied trying to fly.

"Please be careful!" the snow golem said "Don't spill me from so high!"

/

When Finn opened his eyes the first thing his saw was blank unresponsive expression right in front of his face. "Welcome back to the world of the living Finn the human…" Party Pat said still staring at him with his usual calm tone of voice.

Finn sat and began to rub his eyes trying to clear his vision and then looked at the bear "Party Pat? How did you? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"My people and I were carried over here by the winds of destiny a few days ago…they brought us…to the party heaven!" he replied embracing the world around him with his arms "It's like a dream come true…"

Finn had a worried expression on his face "Right…have you seen my friends?"

The beard nodded "Over there…" he pointed a cloud couch where the gang rested.

Finn ran towards them, they where awake but with a tired look "Guys what are you doing? What happened with the other cosmic weapon?"

"Finn if you haven't noticed, we just fell from…space!" Jake replied curling up "And we did that after climbing to the sky all night, and we did that after escaping from a giant rock ball, and we did that after fight-"

"Okay, okay, I got it!" Finn said annoyed. "Peebles, Billy, Susan…are you feeling the same?"

They nodded.

"_These guys are acting like zombies, I wonder what happened to them…"_ Finn thought.

The Ice King arrived holding Gunter under his arm and a glass of soda in his hand "Hey Finn don't sit there…" he drank a bit of soda and cleaned his mouth with his sleeve "that's the couch of laziness…now if you excuse me" he flew over Finn and sat in the couch "la pura vida…" he said with a sight of relief.

"The couch of laziness?" he blinked in confusion.

"Yeah if you seat there you will be filled with laziness, it's the most fluffy and cozy couch in the world!" Cubby the small bear said.

"Oh Cubby! I'm so glad to see you!" Finn said bending down to look at him "Tell me how to help my friends! Please!"

The loud sound of annoying music echoed through the heavens again, making it hard for Finn to understand what Cubby said. He decided to take him over his shoulder and walked away to a more silent area jumping from cloud to cloud.

"Listen, right now they are too lazy to do anything, therefore you have to make them react. Take them out from that trance worrying the heck out of them; concern is the only cure for stern!"

"Wow Cubby you're really wise for a kid, you know?" Finn said patting his head.

"That's what everybody say, but I thought that was because they are too much into parties and can't use their brains…" the small bear replied.

"Okay…now, how can I worry the jelly out of their donuts?" the adventurer thought placing his hand on his chin "that's it!" he said snapping his fingers "risking my life will certainly do it!"

"How can you talk so casual about it?" Cubby asked watching him.

Finn began to run towards the Cloud Kingdom's edge right in front of his friends "Because that's what I do all the time!" he yelled jumping from it.

The young hero fell at high speed for the third time in the day; guess that's what happens when you are exploring the skies. The wind hit his face and dried his eyes. He began to scream "Hey guys! I'm falling, help me!" They didn't react.

"Jake! I may die here, you know?" the dog just blinked an eye.

Finn kept falling and falling; as the seconds passed he could only wonder if jumping from the edge was a good idea. He gained speed, his heart began to beat faster, and suddenly he was filled with fear. Fear of dying, fear of not being able to save Ooo and the worst of all; did his friends really care about him? Not even his brother? "What cruel way of dying, to leave this world knowing that no one really cared about you…" he whispered sadly.

"What kind of nonsense is that?" a familiar voice shouted from behind him.

"Jake!" Finn yelled excited when he saw the yellow magic dog stretching his body as a rope to catch him while being held by Princess Bubblegum, who was being held by Billy, who was being held by Susan, who was holding the cloud's edge with her right arm. Let's get this straight guys, the last time the Ice King saw Finn dying he cried for a second (howled actually) then dropped his lifeless body and simply walked away. Conclusion? He doesn't really care about Finn…yet.

Anyway, they managed to catch the young hero and pull him back to the Cloud Kingdom.

"That was nasty guys…" Finn said while catching his breath "I was really starting to believe that you-"

"Sorry…" Bubblegum said sitting next to him over the clouds "I think that the couch of laziness was a little…too cozy!"

"Yeah and fluffy!" Jake replied.

"But brave heart always stronger Finn" Susan said patting his head hardly and making him fall in the process "Like you always do!"

"Thank you guys…" Finn replied with his face stuck in the clouds.

"Well Princess, now that we are finally here let's check that device of yours to find the next weapon!" Jake said jumping back on his feet.

The princess nodded and took out the radar from her purse and examined it, looking at the small screen she searched for the signal they had been following, but it wasn't there anymore. It disappeared. Bubblegum gasped and quickly lifted her gaze to see her friends "I-I can't track it anymore!" she said nervously.

The whole team asked why at the same time but she couldn't tell…She was sure it was somewhere in the Cloud Kingdom, but now…

They sat on the fluffy surface watching each other's blank expression while the cloud people and the bears danced and sang around them with their loud music. Playing with beach balls and drinking lots of soda while throwing trash everywhere was also part of their celebration. Party Pat noticed them and danced towards them.

"Why aren't you having fun?" he asked watching them.

"Cause we are stuck again!" Jake replied pulling his ears down angrily.

The tall and skinny bear dressed with a green coat and dark green pants stared at them with a serious expression painted on his face "Then come here and have a little fun…Fun helps us to clear our minds…" he said rubbing the dog's head.

"You know what? I guess you're right! I'm going to party hard at least I will enjoy the last days of my doggy life, woof!" Jake shouted standing up "See you later!" he said while waving at his friends, everyone turned to look at Finn.

"He likes to party…" the boy replied.

Jake walked to the center of the dance floor and began to scream "Do you dare to call that shivers dancing? You make me sick!" he stretched his body to become bigger "Now focus! Cause I'm going to show what dancing is! Watch out for my SMOOTH MOVES!" he yelled as he began to shake his body energetically. "From one side to the other!" he sang, "C'mon people follow me, shake your bones! Yeah baby!"

The party beings got excited and began to copy his moves, making the party even hotter than before. The bears began to flash multi-colored laser lights and turned up the volume of the music; I could swear the "boom" of the stereo could be heard from below.

"That's what I call turning on a party!" a voice from the crowd said.

Finn who was sitting with his friends in a corner and Jake recognized it immediately "Jermaine!" both shouted not believing their eyes.

"Yo! how's it going? It's being a very long time, don't you think so bros?" A dog that resembled Jake in every aspect except for his missing teeth, his slight chin stubble, and his partial unibrow said smiling widely at them.

"Brother!" both dog and human ran to hug him happily. "How did you get over here?" Jake asked.

"Man, this is the best shelter in Ooo so I thought; if my brothers fail and everyone ends up dying at least I wanna have enjoyed the last days of my doggie life!" Jermaine replied "So I asked this pretty girls to bring me up here!" he said while pointing the two water nymphs on his right. They waved at Jake.

"I couldn't have said it better!" Jake replied.

"So…brother since you're giving up, why don't we play some karaoke?" Jermaine said surrounding Jake's shoulder with his arm and pulling him closer.

"I would love to!" Jake replied.

/

The Flame Princess soared the dawning skies of Ooo leaving a fiery trace behind her, they were close to the village, Marceline had just told her so. A few minutes later her eyes glimpsed the small colored roofs and began to minimize her flying altitude. Landing as carefully as she could Flame P placed the wolf cub on the ground and scratched him behind the ears.

They had arrived to the Mushroom village, a few white truffle-like houses where scattered over the grassy field. The fire princess noticed something odd about the place, silence.

The small bat's head pop out of one of the red boots "There's no one here…" she whispered.

Flame P became worried "Yeah…this can't be something good…" she replied.

The bat laughed, "What do you mean? We can take everything we want for free! Quick get us inside that store!" Marceline ordered excited.

"You don't care about anything do you?" Flame P replied sighing.

Once inside the store the Vampire Queen returned to her usual human-like form, she put on her shoe and began mess all the shelves throwing the stuff placed over them into the air, Flame P bend down trying not to get hit by a book and covering the boot with the melted snow golem inside with her arms.

Soon a box of color pencils, a scarf, two bottles of perfume, a shovel, some grapes, and a train toy were decorating the floor while Marceline kept checking out the store.

"Woohoo! This will be pretty useful!" She said grabbing a dark purple umbrella and opening it "You know…" Marceline began looking at her fiery friend "Don't you think it's funny that both of our lives depend on this stupid object?"

"What kind of question is that?" Flame P asked staring at the umbrella.

"I don't know…I'm just filling this conversation with rubbish…" she replied.

"Oh…can't we just get to the point and look for a proper container to carry this guy?"

"Yess…hurry please…your shoe stinks…" the golem said.

"You stink!" Marceline replied then she looked at the floor and grabbed one of the perfume bottles, one of them was pink with a yellow cork and the other was the same but with inverted colors. She opened the pink one first and smelled it.

"Yewgh…this smells like Bonnibel" she said sticking out her forked tongue in disgust and breaking the bottle carelessly against the wall behind her, then she smelled the other one "Mmm…still not the one I could use, but it's better than the last one." Marceline dropped the liquid on the floor and then proceeded to deposit the golem inside it "Feeling better now?" she asked attaching a string to the cork and putting it around her neck.

"Well…it smells better…" the snow creature replied.

"Fine…" Marceline whispered putting on her boot again before screaming "Cold! Too cold!" kicking it out of her foot breaking a window.

"Marceline! Stop breaking stuff! There are people living here!" Flame P scolded her.

The vampire chuckled "since when do you care about other people's belongings huh?" she said asked rubbing her crossed arms "Give me back my shirt, I'm starting to feel cold!"

The Flame Princess rolled her eyes and threw the black tank top at her. Marceline put it on instantly and hugged herself "Mmm…warm…" she said smiling.

Unexpectedly the fire wolf puppy began to snarl, his fur frizzed out. The two girls noticed his sudden change of temper automatically acquiring offensive postures while the cub hid between the vampire's legs; they heard slow footsteps coming towards the store and began growling as well.

"How did they managed to reach us so fast?" Flame P asked, her fists burning intensively with fire.

"These are not the same ones from before!" Marceline warned, "They were already hiding in here!"

"Do you mean that?"

The vampire nodded "We were too late for them…" she looked at the Flame Princess with a concerned expression on her face "We've lost too much time! Let's beat up this guys and hurry to your dad!"

The mushroom people, now turned into zombies broke in violently through the windows. There were too many of them and soon the girls were corned trying to protect their new companions. Back against back they attacked forcing the undead to retreat away from them.

Flame P tried desperately to doge their bites while sending fire blows at their heads, but they just kept appearing from the underground. Coming out suddenly from the window behind them a large one grabbed her neck strongly. She burst into flames, but the rotten arm won't let her go. "Marceline!" she screamed feeling the creature pulling her close to bite her.

If the undead managed to bite her it would be the end, she would become one of them, she couldn't let that happen. The Vampire Queen ripped off her attacker's jaw and kicked its body hardly, taking a few more down with him. She heard her friend's help cry and turned to punch her away. Flame P fell on the floor, when she stood up to aid Marceline she gasped in horror watching how the zombie that tried to bite her sank his teeth on the vampire's forearm.

Marceline groaned angrily and slashed his head with her other arm. She covered the wound with her hand and smile at F.P "Don't worry their bites can't affect me, I'm part of the undead remember?"

Flame P sighed with relief; she had never felt so scared in her life.

"Let's end this shall we?" Marceline said standing by her side.

The Flame Princess replied back with a determinate smile.

/

"_I used to think that I could not go on… and life was nothing but an awful song… but now I know the meaning of true love… I'm leaning on the everlasting arms…"_ Jake sang holding a microphone in front of his face.

"_If I can see it… then I can do it… If I just believe it… there's nothing to it…"_ Jermaine followed holding a microphone as well.

The cloud people and the bears formed a circle around them and sang waving lighted candles from one side to the other in the air.

"_I believe I can fly… I believe I can touch the sky… I think about it every night and day. Spread my wings and fly away… I believe I can soar… I see me running through that open door…"_ Both dogs sand holding each other's shoulders.

"C'mon sing it!" Jake said pointing the microphone to the crowd "With a bunch of feeling! I wanna see it on your faces!"

"_I believe I can fly…"_ the crowd replied in chorus with the brothers "_I believe I can fly…I believe I can…flyyyy…"_

Party Pat had tears in his eyes "The beauty of partying can only be found within the lyrics of a moving song…" he said taking off his hat and waving it along with the music.

The Ice King joined the crowd singing and holding Gunter over his head _"See I was on the verge of breaking down…Sometimes silence can seem so louuuud…" _he sang in a high emotional state…well, if you can call that singing… _"There are miracles in life I must achieve…but first I know it starts inside of me, oh…ohowwwowwwwoooowww!"_

"_Weeennkk….wenk…weeeenk wenk!"_

"Nawh! Gunter that was terribly out of tune!" the Ice King said holding the penguin in front of him.

"WENK! (Translated: Says who!) Gunter replied frowning and shaking his body to free himself from the Ice King's grasp.

Princess Bubblegum couldn't help but to laugh at them, while Finn tried to explain Susan why their voices sounded louder when using a microphone, but he ended up confusing her and himself in the process.

"_I can fly! I can fly! I can fly, hey!"_ Jermaine sang looking upwards at the starry night sky with his eyes tightly closed.

_"If I just spread my wings…I can fly-eye-eye-eye! Hummmm… fly-eye-eye…" _Jake finished his solo proudly bowing at the crowd.

The people hadn't finished clapping cheerfully when a powerful thunder crashed against the heavens and a giant floating wolf's head wearing a black and green hat to one side appeared howling loudly.

"W-what's that?" Princess Bubblegum asked hiding between the clouds.

"I don't know, but if he wants trouble I'll be happy to give him some!" Finn replied holding his sword.

"Put that thing away!" the water nymph wearing a blue bikini said.

"He's the Party God!" the water nymph with the pink bikini added.

"Party God?" Finn asked confused.

"_Jake!"_ The wolf's head said _"Once again you have proved yourself worthy of my favor for singing in such an awesome and moving way with your brother…hooowwwlll! And for making my favorite pre-mushroom war song more beautiful than it used to be, I will grant you one wish. What do you want most in the world?"_

"What do I wish most in the world?" Jake repeated rubbing his chin "Well I'd like you to destroy that Lich creep so we can go home now!"

"Great wish Jake!" Finn said smiling widely.

"_Whom are you taking me for? Shenron?"_ The Party God replied, _"I'm not powerful enough to grant that wish! Ask for something else!"_

"Awww…man…" Finn said lowering his head.

Jake began to think again. "Jake!" Princess Bubblegum said walking towards him "Ask for the cosmic weapons!"

"Brilliant Princess!" Jake replied "Party God! We want you to give us the cosmic weapons we are missing!"

"_Well at least that's more of my level, but I can only give you one of them!"_

"Why?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"_Because my boss won't let me do it,"_ the wolf replied, _"She says that the story has to go farther than this…sorry…"_

"Well, I'm hating her right now!" Jake said rising his giant fist towards the screen.

Bubblegum sighed "Ask him for the one we are missing right now then…" she said.

"Okay Party God! My wish is that... we want you to give us the cosmic weapon that's hidden in this kingdom!" Jake shouted.

"_Then your wish is my command!"_ he yelled firing a yellow beam over them.

The shinning light blinded everyone in the Cloud Kingdom and when they finally managed to open their eyes they found themselves in another place.

Finn and the rest of the gang were standing over a giant game board-like arena in some kind of stadium, the cloud people and the bears where sitting, screaming and cheering from their seats. There were giant torches illuminating the field with their fire on both sides of the game arena.

The Party God appeared on the center of the stage _"Listen to me mortals! As some of you may have remembered there's always a catch in the contract and this is it!" _the wolf yelled firmly _"I will give you the cosmic weapon I posses only if you can beat my players on a board game!"_

"Some catch…" Jake whispered annoyed.

"Tell us which game and it's rules! We are ready to play!" Billy the hero said stretching his arms.

"We are?" the Ice King asked nervously.

"Yes we are!" Bubblegum replied punching him on his forearm.

"_Then I'll summon the creator of this game!" _The Party God said, "_Come to the field Choose Goose!"_

"Choose Goose?" Finn asked in surprise.

"Hi!" the strange dressed goose said walking into the arena. "I'm taking shelter on the Cloud Kingdom as well, so don't get surprised."

"My Glob! You again?" Princess Bubblegum said rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"Yes, me again!" he replied "I'll be hosting this game I like to call: "Loose Goose!" The rules are simple guys. You're standing on a board with 63 squares, you'll start from number one and all you have to do is throw the dices and advance, but beware! Some squares have traps that will make you lose your turns or go back several spaces." Choose Goose stopped to clear his voice "The idea is to arrive to the last square before the other team does! Are you ready?"

"Wait!" Finn interrupted harshly "Against whom we're playing?"

"You'll be playing against me…and my team!" Party Pat said seriously with his arms crossed and his head down. The wind blew his hair dramatically and softly.

"That's a cool stance, boss!" one of the bears exclaimed looking at him.

"Thanks, I've been practicing it for weeks…" He said lifting his gaze while holding his hat with his hand and pulling it down. "Now…" he whispered throwing the dices into the air "Let us begin our game!"

/

The Ashes flew everywhere in the red scorched skies that surrounded the Flame Kingdom. The flame guards stood firmly securing the Fire Palace's gate, this time they wouldn't let anyone pass through them, not even…

"Flame Princess!" the guards gasped watching her land with Marceline by her side. The vampire's arm was now bandaged with a piece of black cloth she ripped off from her own shirt and the snow golem hanged inside the bottle she carried on her neck. The fire wolf barked at the guards.

"W-where have you been?" One the guards asked staring at her "Your father has been worried sick about-…"

"Out of my way!" Flame P said pushing him aside and entering the palace, Marceline walked behind her followed by the pup. Both girls had a stern look on their faces.

The flame guards watched them go without saying a word, they were scared that the Flame Princess would turn them into flambits as she always did when she fire blasts her subjects.

The Flame King sat on his throne in silence, resting his face on his fist. He was alone, this was one of those days when he felt like expelling everyone out of the room yelling and firing at them…in other words he woke up with a terrible mood.

He heard footsteps coming closer to him. The Flame King stood up and shouted "I don't wish see anyone! I think I had already made myself clear!"

"No…you haven't…" the Flame Princess said entering the throne room with Marceline.

The King dropped his jaw looking at her "You have returned to me! My daughter!" He shifted out of his armor and reappeared in front of them wearing it again. He rose his hand to touch her head but he didn't "You've grown taller…" he whispered.

She stared at him in silence. The Flame King noticed Marceline's presence but he didn't seem to care about the wolf. "Who is this person standing by your side? Is she your new servant?" he asked.

"She's not a servant…She's Marceline the Vampire Queen." Flame P replied. Marceline just stared at him arms crossed.

The King smiled "A queen, huh? Well then her presence pleases me much" he looked at his daughter "It's good to have you back, now we can-…"

"I didn't come to talk or…to stay…" she interrupted him.

He blinked confused at her words "Then why are you here? I thought you got lost because of that brat's fault…" the Flame King began to walk around them with his hands on his back "What was his name?"

"His name is Finn and don't worry for me…I'm fine now…"

"You are fine?" he said leaning close to her "What's that thing you're carrying on your chest?" he asked stretching his arm to touch it. The princess quickly slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch it! It is very important to me!" she said holding the Pyrali's sapphire tightly with her hand.

"You have certainly changed a lot since you leaved…No one has been turned into flambits, and I can't feel your fiery rage anymore, what have you been through Flame Princess?"

She stared at him "Many things…" she said.

"If you didn't come to see me or to stay, then why are you here?" he asked returning to his throne.

Marceline walked forward to him "Listen Flame King, here's the situation…"

/

Princess Bubblegum was standing on the square number 34; she held the dices on her hand and threw them. They rolled on the ground "Two fours!" she said happily "I'm going eight spaces forward!" she said jumping from square to square "Yeah! 42! I'm close!"

"My turn!" Cubby said catching the dices. He shook them in his paws and threw them. He was standing on square number 28 "Two sixes! It's my lucky day!" he said advancing to square 40 "Hey this one has a bridge painted on it!" he said looking at Choose Goose.

"If you chant, _"__From bridge to bridge, I throw so the edge I can reach!"_ you can use those dices again!" the goose said.

"Really? That's nice!" he threw the dices again "I got six! See ya princess!" Cubby said running in front of her. Bubblegum growled annoyed.

"C'mon, c'mon! Give me those things already!" Finn said impatiently.

He was standing on square 48 "I need a good number to win this!" he whispered to the dices while shaking them in his hands "there you go! …Great 14! I'm going to win this!" he said advancing to the square number 62.

"Finn…" Jake said "I admit that was a close one, but now you'll start going back…"

"I don't care! I'm close!" he said jumping happily.

"Hey happy boy!" Party Pat called him "Give me those dices, it's my turn!"

"Oh…crab…" Billy said looking at him from square 21.

"Why are you saying that?" Jake asked.

"He's on square 55!" the hero replied.

"So?" Susan asked from square 37.

"He needs an eight to win the game" Princess Bubblegum said, "Do you know how many probabilities to get an eight exist?"

"The same for every number?" the cat hatted woman asked scratching her head with her finger.

"What?"

/

The Flame King laughed loudly at the girls "An alliance you said? With the Candy Kingdom? That's nonsense! We the fire elementals don't need to depend on anybody else! We are the strongest race in Ooo!"

Marceline growled angrily "That's the point!" she shouted, "The other kingdoms need your help! Didn't you listen to what I just said?" she pointed the door behind her still glaring at him "It's apocalypse out there!"

"How can you dare to speak at me in that way!" he replied furiously standing up.

"I talk in whatever way I want to! So deal with it!" she yelled back.

"Insolence!" he was about to blast her away when Flame P got in the way "Get over here Flame Princess or I'll turn you into flambits!" he threatened her.

"Do it if you dare!" she replied. The king groaned and lowered his arm. "Now father please listen to me! Forget about your proud and help the others!" she looked at him "Don't you care about me? Please help me save them! …Please help me…"

/

"Here goes my luck!" Party Pat said throwing the dices. They fell and rolled through the board. Everybody bit their nails.

"It's an…" Choose Goose said.

The crowd gasped.

"A fabulous seven!" the goose finished.

"Hi Finn!" the tall bear said arriving to his side.

"Hi!" Finn replied staring at him.

"Hey!" the Ice King yelled from square number three "When am I going to be able to leave the jail?" he asked waving his arms to call everybody's attention to the other side of the arena.

"You had to wait for 40 turns!" Choose Goose shouted, "Wait three more turns!"

"This game is horrible!" he replied.

"Well…you should have thought a bit more before cheating!" Billy said laughing at him. The Ice King growled.

/

The Flame King stared at his daughter "You? Wanting to help others? Why?" he frowned "What have the others done for you!"

Flame P lowered her head thinking about everything she has lived until now, then she looked at her father "Lately…many of them have saved my live, and showed they care for me…I've never felt that before! Not even from you! I guess you don't even know what I'm talking about, very well! If you are not going to help us, so be it! We'll find another way!" she yelled.

"What are you planning to do Flame Princess? Risk your life for them?"

"Yes! That's what I've been doing since I leaved this place, and I'll keep doing it!" she smiled at him "I've finally found something to protect, I've got friends now…I don't need you anymore…" She looked at Marceline "Let's go, we don't have time to waste…"

The Flame King stared at them in silence.

Marceline replied with a nod and began walking with her, but a few seconds later…it happened again... Marceline began to feel a terrible amount of pain in her neck. She stopped her pace and covered the bite mark with her hand moaning painfully.

"What is it?" Flame P asked concerned "Marceline are you okay?"

"Yeah…it's just-…" she groaned falling on her knees "what the hell is happening to me?"

"What's wrong with her?" the Flame King asked walking towards them.

"I-I don't know!" the Flame Princess replied.

The ground began to shake abruptly making everyone in the palace runaway. Outside the two flame guards at the gate watched with wide eyes how a giant crack opened in the ground and a pair of black bat-like wings emerged from it.

Lying on the floor while standing the pain that ran through her body Marceline began to feel that fear again. The mark burned harder with every passing second. She had no doubt about it now, it was clear to her, The Lich woke up every death being from their present time to the past one thousand years. That included him. He's coming for her.

Marceline grabbed Flame P's dress abruptly and pulled her close "Get out of here!" she whispered "NOW!"

/

"Finn you are not going to win in this turn…" Princess Bubblegum repeated for the tenth time "You'll need to get a one and that's impossible!"

He didn't listen to her and threw the dices "Five!" he yelled.

"That means you'll have to go back four spaces…" Choose Goose laughed "To the truth or dare square!"

"The what?" he asked making his way back.

"You'll have to choose between admitting something very embarrassing or facing a disgusting punishment…" Party Pat explained taking off his hat to wipe out some sweat.

"What! That's horrible!" Finn replied.

"You've got no option!" Choose Goose said, "Now choose! Truth or dare?"

Finn thought about it for a moment "Dare!" he replied playing brave.

"Dare, huh?" Choose Goose whispered, "Would you dare to kiss the Lumpy Space Princess with an open mouth kiss?"

"What the? NO! that's- I would NEVER!" he shouted.

The crowd including the players laughed.

"Well, now you've got no option…if you wanna keep playing you'll have accept truth!" the goose said turning down his head like and owl.

"I accept it then!" Finn replied with determination.

"Here goes the question…have you ever seen a naked woman in your life and if you had did you like what you saw?"

"What kind of question is that?" Finn asked blushing awfully.

"_That's the type of question you've got for not accepting the dare challenge!" _The Party God replied.

Jake began to laugh "What is it bro? You've never seen such a thing have you?"

Finn blushed even more (if that was possible) remembering the day Jake and him got stuck inside Marceline's closet and he went to check if she was gone. Glob! Why did he had to enter the bathroom when she was…

Jake blinked "Finn…don't tell me you have-?"

"You're running out of time Finn!" Choose Goose warned him "Have you seen one?"

He closed his eyes and shouted "Yes I have!"

The audience gasped.

"Oh my Glob Finn!" Bubblegum said blushing "I don't think I could ever see you with the same eyes again!" she mocked him.

"That's totally not-righteous Finn!" Billy teased him.

The poor boy wanted the earth to swallow him.

"Now tell me…" Choose Goose continued with the torture "Did you like what you saw?"

Finn's eye's pupils dilated again.

"Five seconds boy! One…"

"I…"

"Two…" the crowd began to count.

"I-I…"

"Three…" Jake said.

"Jake!" Finn scolded him "Thanks for being such a good friend!"

"Whenever you want, bro!"

"FIVE!"

"Say it now boy, yes or no?" Choose Goose said.

"I…" His pupils dilated even more.

* * *

Who do you think got the worst part? Marceline and Flame P having to fly back to the start, deal with Lemongrab, fight zombies and the demon who's emerging from the ground and it's probably going to kill them or the rest of the gang having to climb towards the top of the world, choking in space and falling from it, and Finn with his truth and dare question?


	17. Smoke and Ashes!

Tale 17: Smoke and ashes…

Finn just stood there staring at the ground, inside his mind a battle between moral codes and his desire for winning was about to drive him insane. Drops of sweat began to roll down his cheeks, his knees began to shiver and in a few seconds the world in front of our young and righteous hero faded away.

"Player Finn! Out for blackout!" Choose Goose shouted pointing the fainted boy lying on the ground.

"Poor Finn…maybe it was too much for him don't you think?" Jake asked looking towards the Party God with a concerned stare.

"_He accepted the challenge…" _the wolf head replied _"Now… KEEP PLAYING!" _he roared.

"Whose turn is?" Princess Bubblegum asked holding the dices.

"It's-" Billy was about to reply when an ice beam froze him.

"Finally my turn!" the Ice King said after blowing the blue smoke on his fingertip.

The audience plus the players turned their heads to look at the game's host.

"He's right! Forty turns have passed!" the yellow goose replied, "You may make your move!"

Princess Bubblegum frowned and threw the dices at the Ice King "You'd better not ruin our game!"

He caught them and began to laugh "Don't worry princess, I play this game like a pro!"

"That's why you were trapped in the jail square for forty turns?" Jake replied mocking him.

"Shut your foolish mouth dog!" the Ice King yelled pointing him "I'm going to show you how it's done!" he threw the dices into the air and blew his icy winds to push them farther.

The dices landed bouncing six times on the board before starting to roll. Party Part followed them with his gaze until they finally stopped in front of bubblegum's sneakers. She bent down to look at them.

"Twelve?" she chuckled "Not bad Ice King, not bad…" she said staring at him.

The Ice King laughed again waving his arms crazily "You see Jake? I told you! In your face!"

"Yeah, yeah, now…get moving!" Jake growled.

The Ice King advanced twelve spaces and landed on square fifteen, it had a goose, painted in it. The old wizard began to dance lifting his tunic like a lady while chanting, "_From goose to goose, I throw cause I can't choose! _Which means, I can throw this babies again!" he said shaking the dices, which rolled on the floor one more time.

The crowd jumped and cheered in excitement "Another twelve!" Choose Goose shouted holding the microphone. The Ice King kept advancing while the audience clapped, even Princess Bubblegum and Jake were cheering at him. "This game is mine!" he laughed moving to the square twenty-seven.

Party Pat stared at him with his usual calmed expression "You have my respects, blue board game master" he said looking at him.

"Yeah, that's right!" the Ice King replied joyfully "I'm the master!"

/

Flame P wouldn't go, how could she leave her friend after all she's done for her in an hour of need? She grabbed the vampire's arm trying to pull her up. The Flame Palace crumbled over them. "C'mon Marceline, stand up!" the Flame Princess ordered struggling to lift her.

"Are you deaf? I told you to go!" Marceline shouted "Escape while you have the chance, he's looking for me, let me take care of this by myself!"

Flame P stared at her concerned "He? What are you talking about?" Marceline opened her mouth to reply but she couldn't say anything. The Flame King grabbed his daughter's arm forcing her to leave the palace with him.

The Flame Princess wanted to stay with her but she couldn't escape from her father's embrace.

The two fire elementals flew out of the castle; looking down at the blazing wasteland, they saw the creature that was provoking the whole mess. Flame P gasped in fear flying right before a giant bat-like beast that was emerging from the ground roaring and exposing his sharp fangs. His appearance was far scarier than Marceline's bat transformation. He was like a demon.

"What the hell is that thing?" her father asked landing over the nearest cliff they could find.

"I-I have no idea…" the Flame Princess replied staring at the beast.

"Where are you? Come here and face me coward!" the giant bat growled, he had a scar in his chest and it was bleeding. The creature got out of the hole and began to smell the air "I've got your scent, hiding its no use, c'mon out!" he shouted. Seeing there was no response the demon roared angrily and demolished the Flame palace with his fist.

Marceline managed to escape out of it right before he could crush her within the castle's debris; the fire wolf pup was in her arms. She placed the cub carefully on the ground and patted his head, it burnt but she was already too sored to care "Please hide, this might get really heavy…" she whispered to him. She lifted her gaze and flew into the reddish skies spitting on the demon's back "This is what you've been looking for? Here I am!" she yelled staring at him while clenching her fists.

"Marceline!" the enormous beast roared turning around and hitting her hardly with his tail. Marceline crashed behind Flame P and her father.

The Flame Princess freed herself from the king's grasp and ran towards the hole that her friend's body had created on the ground. The young princess leaned down searching for Marceline. She was struggling to get back on her feet.

"Marceline…are you alright?" Flame P asked stretching her hand to reach her "What the heck is that creature?"

"You…you should have runaway when I told you kid!" the black haired girl scolded her "This is a battle we can't win…he's…he's…The Vampire King!" Marceline said with a grave tone of voice.

/

Finn woke up scratching his eyes; he looked around and noticed that he was on the Cloud Kingdom again. As he tried to stand up, Finn wondered what happened with the game "D-did we win?" he asked not really talking to anybody.

"Of course! I won the game!" the Ice King said.

"I couldn't have said it better!" the Ice King said pointing the Ice King "this brave and noble man is a hero, you know?" the Ice King pointing the Ice King said.

W-wait a minute…the Ice King pointing the Ice King?

Finn shook his head "Did I hit my head against a rock or something? Cause I'm seeing double!" the boy felt dizzy again.

"You are not insane if that's what you're thinking…but you will be…" Jake said arriving to his side. He held an ice bag over his head "the Ice King (unbelievable, but true) won the game and the Party God gave him the cosmic weapon" the dog frowned at the old wizard playing with the old wizard "that weapon is called Duple Bracelet it…doubles you? I still don't understand how that works; maybe we can beat the Lich by annoying him to the point of suicide"

"Jake…are you feeling okay?" Finn asked noticing his brother's terrible mood.

"No, I'm not okay!" Jake growled, "I have a headache, this place's music is about to blow up my brain and that crazy guy is twice as…" he stopped to find the right words "…crazy!" he didn't find any "than before! Kill me Finn; kill me now…" he cried in desperation.

"Don't be so melodramatic Jake!" Finn replied staring at the Ice Kings.

They were still dancing around excitedly with the bear's music, they jumped and waved their arms swiftly signing who knows what, something about an ugly duck. The Ice King wearing the bracelet was moving to the cloud's edge without realizing it…

For Finn it was like watching the whole scene in slow motion, the Ice King waved his arm enchanted by the party's music, the bracelet slipped from his arm. Jermaine who was drinking soda on the other side of the kingdom spitted it on Cubby's face before screaming, "Iced head the bracelet! CATCH IT!" The Ice King gasped while staring at the flying jewel, he tried to grab it in mid-air but his fingers pushed it farther.

"Nooooooo…" Jake shouted stretching his body in a desperate attempt to save the cosmic weapon. He was too late, the Duple Bracelet got lost between the clouds. The Ice King leaned to edge kneeling next to Jake; his magic twin vanished almost immediately.

"Ooops…" the old man whispered.

Jake began to snarl angrily and jumped over the Ice King grabbing his neck "I'm gonna kill you! I swear to Glob, I'm going to kill you!"

Party Pat and Jermaine ran to separate Jake from the Ice King. The Bear pulled the wizard away while the dog lifted his brother "Calm down Jake, relax!" Jermaine said holding him.

Princess Bubblegum and the rest of the gang arrived to the scene, Finn explained them what happened and after Jake tried to kill the Ice King again they tried to make a new plan.

"Settle down, guys…just settle down!" Bubblegum ordered, "Let's think for a moment okay? I still have my radar, all we have to do is to track it and find it," she said turning on her device. The blinking red light appeared on the screen moving at a great speed in a southern direction "It's still falling…" she whispered following the signal with her eyes.

"Oh no!" Finn said holding his head "What if it fells through the Hole Near to The Center of The World! What if it ends up in China?" he was really freaked out.

"What's China?" Cubby asked staring at him.

"I don't know!" Finn replied anxiously.

Princess Bubblegum kept looking at her radar, something strange was happening; the signal changed its direction "Guys!" she called "the bracelet changed its falling direction, I attribute it to a possible change in the atmospheric pressure's condition!"

"Which means?" Billy the Hero asked leaning on his sword.

Bubblegum replied happily "the wind must be blowing!"

"Ooohhh!" the bears around them replied.

"It's just like I said…" Party Pat whispered, "The winds of destiny are in our side!" he yelled letting the breeze blow his hat away.

"The wut?" the Ice King asked

"I'm not sure, he told me something similar when we arrived here…" Finn replied unsure.

Jake elbowed him "Brother you better not pay much attention to what this guys say, they are pretty high! Hehe! Get it? high…because we are in the…hehe! Cloud Kingdom…" Princess Bubblegum frowned staring at him "Yeah, I'd better shut my mouth…" he said turning away his face.

The pink haired girl turned to look at the bear's leader "Tell me about those "winds of destiny" she said.

"The same heavenly winds that brought us to this party paradise must be willing to help you achieve your fate too!" Party Pat answered retrieving his hat "My advice…use them to carry you towards your destiny!"

"Use the wind?" Susan asked getting interested "Like when using a sail in a boat?"

"Exactly, cat hat!" the bear replied lifting his arms towards the sky "Cross the heavens like you would cross the seas, let the wind be your guide!"

Princess Bubblegum chuckled in delight "You know, that could actually work…" she said hitting her index finger on her chin "If we want to retrieve the bracelet we need to fly in its same direction…all we need is to-"

"Jake turn into a big sail! Carry us in the wind's direction!" Finn said in excitement.

"You want me to transform into some kind of boat and then jump off the edge?" Jake replied staring at the clouds beneath him "It think that maybe you did hit your head with a rock…"

"Jake!" his human brother shouted.

"Okay, okay, fine…" he moaned transforming his body into a small boat.

"Jake, the sail has to be larger if you're planning to hold our weight with just the wind's force" Bubblegum instructed.

Jake sighed and shaped his body again "Every one, jump into the S.S. Jake! We are about to set sail towards…umm…China, maybe?"

"Wherever it is as long as we can find the bracelet in there!" Princess Bubblegum said jumping into him with the rest of the gang.

Jake leaned on the edge "Guys…if we die, I just want you to know that it has been an honor to meet you all…except for the Ice King…" he said looking down.

"Don't worry brother, you won't die…" Jermaine said patting his stretched body "but if you do…send my regards to mom and dad in Glob world!"

"Have you considered the idea of becoming a professional encourager?" Jake replied staring at him. His brother laughed.

"Now get ready, I'll count till three and then you push this guys, is that clear?" Party Pat said looking at his people "One…two…thre-"

He didn't finish his count because the little bears had already pushed the gang into the air "Good luck guys!" they waved at the screaming heroes who were falling at high speed.

"I knew this wasn't going to wooorrkk!" Jake shouted.

"Open your freaking sail!" Princess Bubblegum replied angrily.

Jake did as said and as soon as the wind blew inside his fur his body made an abrupt movement and they began to soar the night sky just like Party Pat said, as if they were sailing the seas.

"Whoa!" Susan yelled feeling the wind on her face "this is the most exciting thing Susan has ever done!"

"Yeah!" Finn replied smiling at her "We'll get that bracelet in no time!"

/

Marceline's body hit the ground hardly leaving a trace of dust behind her. The Vampire beast laughed watching the hopeless figure struggling to get back on her feet.

Despite her father's orders the Flame Princess charged against the creature she had just identified as the Vampire King. Her body was ablaze with rage as she flew towards him. The demon saw her coming and flapped his wings unleashing a monstrous whirlwind at her. Flame P was trapped inside it and crashed violently sinking into the lava river splashing melted rocks everywhere.

While the vampire beast was distracted Marceline tried to attack him from behind, it was useless. The Vampire King detected her presence just in time to slam her with his arm by waving it against her.

Marceline fell sweeping the dirt with her face. The small perfume bottle where she carried the snow golem was untied from her neck and rolled several centimeters in front of her. She lifted her scraped face from the ground and stretched her arm trying to reach it.

"P-puddle…you're not…helping…" Marceline said while trying to drag her body towards him. The Golem moaned in fear closing his rock eyes.

The Vampire King was observing her "What is it Marceline?" He spoke with a dull tone "What happened with the eagerness you had a thousand years ago, when you did me this!" he yelled angrily pointing the bleeding scar on his chest.

"Th-that's a…very long time…don't you…think?" she replied still trying to reach the bottle.

He laughed at her "What are you trying to do?" the beast asked staring at her "why do you seek to get that bottle so desperately? He chuckled "Does it means something to you?"

The Vampire Queen flinched at that question "Darn it…" she whispered clenching her teeth.

The demon jumped and landed in front of her, the earth trembled when his feet reached the ground making the small perfume bottle roll away from her. She gasped painfully dropping her weight in defeat. The vampire beast stared at the bottle "What could be so special about this?" he asked lifting his foot over it. Marceline hissed angrily at him.

"D-don't you dare!" she yelled trying to stand up again.

"Or what?" he chuckled wickedly "what's the mighty Vampire Queen going to do to me?" the snow golem stared at the giant foot over him and began to cry.

"No, no, no, no…" he whispered closing his eyes.

The Vampire King laughed "Oh I see…you are trying to protect the creature inside it…" he stared at her, Marceline was furious. "Well that's a shame!" he roared attempting to crush the bottle.

A "crack" sound echoed in the silence of the night.

The demonic beast drew a smirk on his face while he searched for the Vampire Queen. She was nowhere to be seen. He frowned "Where are you Marceline? I told you hiding is useless!" the Vampire King shouted while trying to focus on her scent. She was near, but where?

"Try looking right under your nose jerk!" she replied.

The giant bat lifted his foot. Marceline was there, lying on the deep footprint he left after stomping the ground; she was holding the bottle between her arms. "You…" he whispered "you covered that thing with your own body! What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked in astonishment.

"I-I…would like to know the answer to that…question…" she replied smiling weakly. Marceline looked at the snow golem "you okay?"

"Th-thanks to you…" he noticed a shiver in her arms "what about…you?"

She chuckled "Oh…I'm fine…save for the fact that…my backbone must have been crushed…and…I'm having a hard time breathing…"

"You are not…okay…" the snow creature replied.

"Hehehe…no…" she said staring at the talking liquid "but to tell the truth…I never expected we would get this far…"

The Vampire King growled angrily "You dare to call yourself Vampire Queen acting like that?"

Marceline stared at him placing her index finger over her mouth "Shhh…! Don't you see we are trying to have a conversation here?" she scolded him.

The demonic beast roared impatiently "I'm going to crush you!"

"Hurry up! Will you?" Marceline replied pressing the bottle against her chest.

He grabbed her with his paw and clenched it firmly "You don't deserve it, no, I'm going to kill you slowly …I want to hear you screaming in pain!" the beast said holding her in front of his face.

Marceline spitted on it and then hissed at him "Give me your worst!" she taunted him. She knew there was no escape; this was the end so…she just wanted to annoy him before leaving this world. He was very pissed off, "this is going to be painful," she thought closing her eyes.

The lava river behind them began to boil in an exaggerated way making the environment's temperature to rise even more.

The Vampire King turned his head "What the?"

The Flame Princess emerged from the magma groaning furiously "You!" she yelled fire blasting him. He let go of the Vampire Queen and flew trying to doge it. The fire reached one of his wings. The fire girl turned into a giant flare being and attacked him when he touched the ground. Pressing his neck hardly against the earth, she raised her fist and aimed it at his face. Her body burned his skin and he roared in pain trying to free himself from the young princess's grasp.

"You are not going anywhere!" she shouted punching the beast and stamping his head on the ground.

Flame P jumped backwards and returned to her normal form hoping that would give them time to escape. She stood in front of the demon panting heavily. She was running out energy. The Flame Princess stared at the unconscious Vampire King wondering what relation he had with Marceline. "Marceline!" she gasped remembering about her. Flame P ran towards her friend and shook her softly.

Marceline reacted opening her eyes slightly "Flame P…" she whispered, "What are you still doing in here? I-I told you…to escape…damn it!"

The princess frowned "And I told you I'll stay with you, damn it!"

The Vampire Queen laughed.

/

The Jake sailboat flew swiftly across the clouds neither one of them could believe that they were actually doing it; guess Party Pat wasn't just a strange high-looking guy.

Princess Bubblegum took out the radar from her purse "We are close…" she said staring at the device "Jake try to descent leaning the sail twenty five degrees north!"

"Guide me please, I don't know how to measure that…" he replied.

Bubblegum sighed "Okay follow my voice then"

The wind took them into the Red Rock pass, the place where they teamed up with Susan Strong. They landed abruptly, maybe because Jake wasn't used to be a sky sailboat or because the princess's instructions weren't clear enough for him.

They stood up trying to remove the dirt from their clothes. The candy ruler walked around them only paying attention to the radar "It's here!" she said pointing a giant rock.

"Over it?" the Ice King asked.

"Nope…under it…" she replied putting her invention inside her bag "Help me to lift it, I'm not strong!" she said placing her hands under it. Finn, Billy, Jake and Susan stared at each other "What are you waiting for?" the princess asked.

"I think that rock is…not a rock…" Billy said looking at her worriedly.

"What do you mean?" Bubblegum's voice became shaky.

Finn walked a few steps forward and stretched his arm towards her "Peebles come here_ slowly_, don't make any abrupt movements just…take my hand, don't freak out…but you are touching his butt"

"When you talk to me like that I feel like freaking out, you know?" she paused for a second "Touching his butt? Butt!" she realized that the bracelet fell under a sleeping rock golem and that she was touching his butt. She freaked out. The monster woke up.

A giant grey mass of solid granite with yellow neon glowing eyes stood before the Candy Kingdom's princess and roared at her angrily. She made a few steps backwards trying to apologize in a nervous manner.

"G-good night Sir." She said trying to smile "S-sorry for interrupting your sleep…and for touching your butt…you see hehe, I thought you were a rock" The rock golem growled at her "P-please…don't kill me!" Bubblegum shouted as she began to runaway.

She hid behind Finn and took his red blade out "Here Finn, hero time now!" she said placing his sword in his hand. The young hero nodded in agreement and pushed her back.

"Take cover princess this guys like to-" The golem sat down and curled his body "Oh uh…" Finn moaned staring at him. The rocky mass leaned forward and began to roll at high speed towards them lifting a cloud of dust behind him "Forget what I said RUN!" the boy yelled taking Bubblegum's hand while pulling her away.

"Nothing's going to be easy right? Not even for once!" the princess complained annoyed while escaping from the rock monster.

"That's why it's called an adventure!" Finn replied totally excited.

Billy and Susan ran by their sides, when the monster was about to hit them Susan jumped and pushed the princess out of the way while Billy did the same for Finn. The golem crashed against the red stonewalls, roared in frustration and curled down to roll again. Jake the dog stretched his body while grabbing two rocks that were conveniently situated on the road "Slingshot time!"

The rolling stone was bounced back by Jake's elastic technique and hit the rock mountain, this time completely knocked out.

"Yeeehaaa!" that's what I call teamwork guys!" the Ice King said jumping cheerfully.

"Wenk!" Gunter said frowning at him.

"Gunter is right…I-I didn't understand what he said… But I bet he was telling you that you were not helping at all!" Finn replied yelling at the wizard.

"What?" the Ice King said calmly "I won the game for you Mr. faint"

Finn was about to jump over him when Susan caught him in mid-air "Finn focus, the bracelet!" she said placing him on the ground.

Billy walked towards the place where the rock golem was sleeping and picked up the bracelet, it was made of white gold and had a sapphire in the center. Both his sword Nothung and the bracelet began to glow. He watched them pleased "Now we are just missing four of them." The Hero said staring at his teammates. "This may be a strange question but…have you noticed that most of the cosmic weapons we have retrieved are adorned with a sapphire?"

"Yeah, I've noticed that too…" Princess Bubblegum said taking the bracelet from Billy's hand "I wonder if it has some kind of meaning…"

"Heeyyy travelers!" a distant shout interrupted their thoughts.

The gang turned to see a black winged bird-like skeleton carrying a package in his hands flying towards them. Of course, because of his appearance everyone reacted like if he was a new foe and took a defensive position.

"No, no, please…I'm not your enemy!" the skeleton said landing in front of them "I'm from the Boneyard Kingdom Postal service!"

"Postal service?" Princess Bubblegum asked confused.

"Yeah, I have a package for…" he took out a small notebook and passed a few pages with his fingers "Oh here it is!" the skeleton said pointing the name "Which one of you is Marceline Abadeer, huh?"

Everyone blinked in confusion "Marceline? She's not currently with us but…" Bubblegum replied "we can receive that package for her"

"Great, great…" the skeleton said handing it to her.

When Princess Bubblegum held it, she almost fell to the floor "What's this? Is heavy!"

"No, it is not! You are just too weak miss!" the strange messenger said poking her with a pen. She moaned impatiently. "Gabha the blacksmith send it, he also apologizes for not bringing it with himself, but the Boneyard Kingdom is a mess with all the death coming back to life and all that stuff. He's trying to help the Skeleton Princess with it, so…yeah he's very busy…" the skeleton said still poking Princess Bubblegum with his pen "What are you waiting for? Sign!"

"Oh! Right…" she placed the heavy object in the ground and signed the skeleton's notebook.

"That's fine!" he said checking the princess's signature and closing his notebook abruptly "See you some day, if you are still alive travelers!" he opened his black wings and flew away.

"That was odd…" Jake whispered following the flying figure with his gaze. "Open the package princess, I want to know what it is!"

Bubblegum kneeled down and began to unwrap it "It's…her axe-bass!"

"Yeah and it's all shiny!" Finn said touching the blade's sharp edge, he retrieved his finger almost immediately and put inside his mouth "I cut my finger and I barley touched it…Awesome!"

"She'll be happy of having it back…" the candy princess said passing the axe's belt over her shoulders "I hope she's not needing it at this moment…" she whispered with a concerned look.

"I wonder how are they doing…" Finn replied staring at the ground while thinking of Flame P and the vampire.

"Don't worry I'm sure they are fine!" Jake said patting his brother's back "They must be signing the alliance with the Fire Kingdom right now!"

"Yeah, you are right…" Finn replied staring at him "Let's go back to the labyrinth, it's entrance is close the Fire Kingdom's borderline so we might find them there!"

"That's the way I like it!" Jake sang joyfully walking by his side.

/

Flame P grabbed the vampire's arm and passed it around her shoulders to help her stand up. "We'll make it out alive, I promise…"

"You are a little…bit optimistic…today, huh?" Marceline replied leaning on her friend's body "I…" she was about to continue talking when she noticed that the vampire beast was gone "Shit…" she whispered opening her eyes widely. "Flame P…"

The young fire elemental took flight quickly in an attempt to flee from that the place, but as soon as they were on the sky the Vampire King appeared out of nowhere and send them to the ground crashing violently against it. "Not so fast…" he laughed descending in front of the two startled girls.

The Flame Princess lifted her back trying to see him. Her arms were shivering slightly. She was losing her strength. The vampire walked towards her while reducing his size and acquiring a more human form. Her eyes grew wide when she saw him in his human-like transformation. Like Marceline, he had pointy ears and was very thin; he had long black hair tied with a red strip. His wicked smile reveled his own sharp pair of fangs, his eyes were red and his clothing had a certain aristocratic charm, in other words, he was the classic vampire archetype. The only difference was his skin. Unlike Marceline's greyish blue tone, he's white skin was very pale.

The Vampire King stopped his pace in front the wounded girls. He held his arms behind his back and raised his chest to release a deep sigh. The flames that surrounded them glowed in his black suit. "It's rather disappointing that our situation had gotten to this limit, you know?" he began to walk slowly from one side to the other "Let's try it again, shall we?" the vampire said taking out a pair of white gloves from his pocket and introduced his hands inside them.

He stood in front of Marceline and grabbed her hand to pull her up "A thousand years have passed and you remain as young and beautiful as always, tell me, isn't immortality a great gift?"

The bite mark on her neck began to sting "Don't…start playing gentleman…right now…" she growled slapping his hand of her's.

He laughed "I'm not playing gentleman, I am a gentleman, please let's start our meeting over!" he bowed placing his right hand on his bleeding chest "Good night young ladies, please excuse my previous behavior…" he stared at them stroking his goatee beard with his fingers "I just needed to release the rage that has been kept inside me for centuries" he chuckled "Don't look at me like that Marceline, this is all your fault and you know it"

Flame P managed to get back on her feet to help her friend "Marceline, what's he talking about?" she whispered holding her.

"It's …a long…story…" she replied weakly "Let's just say…that…I stole his…heart…"

"Do you mean that-" the Flame Princess asked.

"I know what you are thinking," she chuckled "But I did steal his heart…literally…" Marceline lifted her gaze towards the Vampire King.

"Go on, tell her our story, dear" he replied smiling.

"Listen Flame P, I did something, that I shouldn't have done…I…when I was still a mortal I challenged this guy to a fight, it was a stupid a idea, I know!" Marceline yelled scolding herself "But I was so angry at that time that I couldn't see it…" she closed her eyes to visualize her blurry memories "he beat me easily and grabbed my neck, I knew that he was going to kill me, so I let him bite me…there was no other way" Marceline shivered remembering that moment "as he sucked my blood, I tried to reach a piece of glass that was lying on the ground. I stabbed his heart with it and freed myself from his grasp. I fell on my knees holding my bleeding neck, my vision began to blur…I was dying…"

The Flame Princess stared at her with concern. Marceline opened her eyes.

"The only way to "survive"…was to become a vampire, so I ripped off his heart and drank the blood that poured from it. He died instantly. I dropped his heart on the ground realizing what I had done…I casted a curse upon me…to wander through this world eternally in it's darkness, surviving on other's essence, that's all a vampire is!"

The vampire King chuckled in delight "And you buried me fifteen meters underground, not bad for such a young brat…" he stared at her "You drank my royal blood and became the Vampire Queen, how have you managed to live all of this years under that title?"

"Guess…I…figured it out…" Marceline whispered "Now what? …Are you going to rip out my heart as well?" she asked angrily.

He sighed "Marceline…do you know what's the difference between you and me?" a smirk crossed his face "that unlike you, I don't enjoy staining my hands with blood…"

The Vampire Queen laughed, "Don't tell me…"

"I could have already killed you if I wanted to, but instead I'll give you other alternative…"

"Alternative?" Flame P asked staring at him.

"Marceline what are you?" the Vampire King walked towards her "Are you a human, a demon, or a vampire?"

She didn't answered.

"Of course, you are all of them! Yet, at the same time you're not any of them, you've got the right to decide what you want to be and I'm offering you the opportunity to use it right now." Marceline frowned.

"I don't need to choose!" she yelled.

"Let me explain you my situation" he replied "I'm here thanks to the cursed powers of the being you're seeking so desperately to destroy: The Lich. He doesn't really cares if you two are dead or alive, what he really wants from you is the amulet that those betrayer demons brought to you" the vampire extended his hand at her "Give it to me…"

"Ha!" Marceline said not believing his words "Like if I was going to give it up so quickly!"

The Vampire King chuckled "Marceline…think about it, you are the Vampire Queen, you should be longing for a world of eternal darkness like I do. You belong to our side, the strongest side! Join us Marceline; stop fighting against what you cannot defeat …Together no one will be able to stop us! Imagine the power, the might you can get! All you have to do is to walk over here and give me the Nightosphere amulet…"

The Flame Princess looked at her friend. Marceline's face lacked of emotions.

"You are right, you don't need to choose, for what you are is a lifeless creature…you are one of us…" he smiled "Hand me that amulet now or perhaps you want to stay on these weaklings side, and remain as their baby sitter just like you've been doing all this time?"

"I'll stay with them!" she replied with determination "and I'm not giving you the amulet!" Flame P smiled at her.

"So…" he said lowering his head "You've decided to appeal to your weakest side, your human part…" he lifted his eyes towards her's "what's so special about being human, huh?"

She didn't know why but she felt like if she had already heard that question before. She didn't replied.

The Vampire King's body began to change again "You've made the wrong decision!" he yelled transforming into his demon bat form and charging against them.

Marceline pushed the Flame Princess away and received the impact with her whole body. Flame P rolled uncontrollably over the ground. Spitting the dirt she had swallowed she tried to get back on her feet. Suddenly her cosmic weapon, the Pyrali's sapphire began to glow intensely, she didn't know why.

The Vampire Queen was unconscious. She couldn't defend herself anymore.

"I'm going to take your heart now!" the bat beast roared raising his claws.

Flame P couldn't allow it. She flew over him using all the energy she had left and pierced through his burned wing. The demon writhed in pain trying to reach his injury; meanwhile the fire princess struggled to save Marceline. Flame P tried to pull her away dragging her body slowly out of the Vampire King's view but he caught their blood's scent and slammed them fiercely. Both girls smashed their bodies against the Fire Palace's debris.

The Flame Princess's vision began to fade; all she could see was the giant silhouette of the demonic beast coming towards them. She couldn't move her muscles, not anymore "It's the end…" she cried.

A firewall rose around Marceline and The Flame Princess just before the Vampire King could reach them. The bat screeched loudly trying to douse the flames on his fur.

Flame P opened her eyes "F-father…" she whispered staring at the Flame King who was standing next to her.

"I won't ever abandon you Flame Princess…" he said taking her on his arms "You will always be the most valuable jewel I posses, no matter how much you've changed"

"Daddy…" she smiled "I-I'm so sorry…"

"No" he replied "I'm the one who should apologize…I've judged your friends wrong and I have been acting like a tyrant while the others needed me…I…"

The Vampire King managed to extinguish the fire on his body and lifted his gaze towards the horizon. The sun was coming out. He roared angrily knowing that he was running out of time, he needed the Nightosphere amulet and he was going to obtain it now.

The beast turned to the Flame Palace and jumped over them. The Flame King reacted covering his daughter with his body. The vampire's claws penetrated his copper armor and pierced through his chest. He burst into flames burning the demon's eyes. The beast screeched painfully covering his face and falling onto the ground.

The Flame King fell on his knees while Flame P embraced him burying her face on his lap. She was crying. "Flame Princess…I…finally understood what you meant by…helping others…" he smiled caressing her fiery hair "I'm sorry for never showing you how much I loved you…" her father placed his hand under her chin to raise her head. He swept away her tears "I'm leaving a great power behind, please use it to help the others…please save Ooo…" he hugged her "My daughter…" the Flame King whispered before he died. His hand grabbed her necklace and ripped it off when he fell. The Pyrali's sapphire bounced a few inches away from her. The Flame Princess cried desperately holding her Father's body as his flame's heat faded away. The smoke clouded her tearful eyes.

The sun began to shine over them. The Vampire King was blinded but he felt the light burning his skin. He groaned angrily returning to his normal form. Suddenly he felt something under his foot "This is my lucky day after all…" he laughed "The Vampire Queen must have dropped it while we fought!" he yelled picking the amulet from the ground.

The fire princess heard him. She was filled with hate; she couldn't feel pain or exhaustion anymore. The Vampire saw the fire being coming towards him at a great speed "Do you want to kill me?" he chuckled "then search for me in the depths of The Nightosphere!" he began to laugh wickedly as he flew into the Lich's labyrinth.

Flame P screamed furiously hitting the ground with her fists "Damn it!" she felt the sun warming her skin "Day light…" Flame P whispered "Marceline!" she gasped running to her friend's side. The Flame Princess grabbed the fainted queen by her shoulders to drag her into what was left of the palace but when she touched Marceline's clothes her flames immediately scorched them "What the?" she said placing her hand over her chest. The Pyrali's sapphire was missing.

/

Finn walked with his arms crossed behind his head. Jake reduced his size to travel on his shoulder. Susan and Princess Bubblegum where walking next to him, the candy ruler carried the axe-bass on her back. The Ice King and Gunter followed them from behind while the legendary hero guided their way.

The blue skies comforted their tired spirits and the soft breeze helped them by cooling their bodies. It was hot, which meant that they were not far from the Fire Kingdom's borderline.

Finn yawned and ran towards Billy's side "Hey, are we close yet?" he asked impatiently.

"Calm down boy, we still need to cover some distance before getting there…" the hero replied staring at him.

The young hero sighed, "I'm terribly anxious, you know? I wonder what's happening to me…"

"Maybe you are just bored" Billy replied "Why don't you try to entertain yourself with something?" he suggested.

"Good idea!" Finn looked around him and then stared at the orange haired man.

"What?" he asked feeling annoyed.

"Can you lend me your sword?" Finn asked putting his hands together.

Billy thought for a moment "Umm…no…"

"Pleeeeaaaasssseeee!" the boy replied. "Please Billy, please, please Billy, please!"

The green-skinned man rolled his eyes "Okay, fine!" he said handing him his trusted sword "You are an annoying brat, has someone told you that before?"

"Yeah!" Finn replied testing the blade's sharpness "Your sword is amazing!"

Billy shook his head "He's not even paying attention to what I'm saying…" he mumbled.

Finn kept swinging the heavy sword randomly until he noticed something odd "the sapphire on the handle is glowing…" he whispered stopping his pace and thrusting the blade into the ground. "…but why? There are no cosmic weapons around…are they?" the boy asked looking at bubblegum.

She took out the radar from her purse "Guys, you're not going to believe this!" she said staring at the device's screen.

"What?" Susan asked looking at the radar "the red blinking point?"

Princess Bubblegum nodded "It's a cosmic weapon and it's moving fast towards the labyrinth direction…"

"Hey, but…aren't the weapons supposed to be inside the labyrinth?" the Ice King asked scratching his head.

"It must be Flame P and Marceline, they are probably looking for us right now!" Jake said joyfully. "Let's hurry!"

"Wait!" Susan ordered grabbing the dog's tail.

"Susan! That hurts!" Jake replied rubbing his butt "Never pull the dog's tail!"

"What is it Sue?" Finn asked getting near to hear.

"Something's coming…" she lifted her arm "Over there!"

Everyone followed her finger and saw a red spot getting closer. Jake caught a familiar scent in the air "Bananas…" he whispered, "A Nightosphere demon it's coming!"

"On daylight?" Finn wondered, "What's up with him?"

The demon incremented his flying speed and reached them "Hey it's the Jailer! What the heck are you doing here? I thought you were-" Jake said before getting his words cut.

"Hiding I know…" the red bat-like demon replied panting, "He's done it. He's got the amulet!"

"Who and what?" Finn said not understanding what he meant.

"That creep, the Lich…he obtained it, the Nightosphere amulet! Or so they say in our demon world…"

"But obtain the amulet…" Bubblegum inquired "he should have had take it away from Marceline!"

"That's right, they were ambushed…in the Fire Kingdom, the fire girl and our ruler!"

"If Marceline was here, she would have smacked you! She is-not-your ruler!" Jake replied impatiently at the demon as he leaned back startled.

"A-ambushed? Flame P and Marceline!" Finn yelled, "Are they okay? Tell me now demon!" he ordered pointing him with his red sword.

"I just heard gossips from the demons who remained in the Nightosphere…I know nothing about them!"

Billy growled annoyed "Boy don't tease the demon! We should focus on making our way to the Fire Kingdom, and fast!"

Finn lowered his blade "Right…"

/

The fire elementals gathered inside of the crumbled palace, they cried for their loss, even if the Flame King used to be very hard on them, he always procured to take care of his people. They never held a grudge against the royal family; they were just scared of them. The Flame Princess summoned the fire army and gave them strict orders to defend and protect the shelters that were scattered in Ooo from the zombie invasion, she also instruct them to rescue anyone who wasn't taking shelter and to lead them into the closest one.

The rest of the fire elementals decided to remain in the Fire Kingdom aiding each other. Flame P walked towards a window and stared at the blazing wasteland were they fought the Vampire King. They managed to survive because of the sunlight appearing just at the right moment.

Marceline was resting behind her; she hasn't reacted since the fight ended. If only they had some Cyclops's tears with them, they would have had already healed their wounds.

"Hey! Hey, you!" a voiced called her from the other side of the room.

"Who's there?" Flame P asked frowning. She saw the jailer demon standing in front of her "Y-you…you are…" she whispered staring at him.

"Your friends are looking for you, they can't enter this place without a fire shield so… that's why I am here" he said with a calmed tone. "Hurry up, they are waitin' for you at the Marauder Village. It's close you can't miss it…"

"Y-yeah, but what about?" she tried to reply.

"Don't worry I'll carry her on my back…" the jailer demon said grabbing the unconscious vampire" he noticed the small perfume bottle with the snow golem inside it over a table "Should I carry him too?" he asked.

The fire wolf cub ran into the room and jumped into Flame P's arms "Yes please…" she replied walking towards the window.

"Let's go then!" the demon said opening his red wings and jumping off the window's edge. The Flame Princess followed him.

/

"Don't! … Marceline don't move!" Princess Bubblegum yelled struggling to catch the vampire's arm.

All she wanted to do was to clean a horrible cut that Marceline had across her arm with a piece of cotton and some medical alcohol, but she wouldn't let her do it.

"Marceline understand, it can get infected and-"

"I don't care Bonnibel! Get that thing away from me!" Marceline replied smacking the princess hand.

Bubblegum moaned impatiently "Don't tell me you are afraid of the stinging feeling!"

Marceline didn't answered.

"Okay, if that's how you wanted it…" the princess whispered standing up. Marceline's eyes grew wide "Susan catch her!"

The vampire tried to fly away but Susan grabbed her leg and pulled her down to the bed where the three girls were sitting. The blonde woman held Marceline with all her strength while Princess Bubblegum cleaned the wound.

"Agh! I'm going to kill you both! I promise!" Marceline shouted at the ceiling.

"Right, Marceline…do whatever you want…" P.B. said placing another piece of wet cotton on her injured arm "I thought you said that the physical pain didn't bother you…" she teased her.

The vampire snorted loudly "Shut up!"

Susan laughed at her.

When the Flame Princess and the jailer demon arrived to the Marauder Village then whole team ran towards them to receive them and decided that their first priority was to heal them. They were running out of Cyclops's tears so Bubblegum decided that it was best to use them only on the worst injuries, the other wounds would have to be healed with some bandaging and time. The Marauders provided a small hut with a bed, cotton, alcohol, bandages; a bucket filled with warm water and some towels. Flame P leaved the place once the candy princess finished working on her injuries. Princess Bubblegum then proceeded to heal the vampire but she woke up before expected and began to give her trouble, as usual.

The Marauder's village consisted of a group of animal-themed furry houses around their purple squid bartender who was always sitting in a wooden bucket that hanged from a tree at the center of the village. The place used to be located near to the Mountain Kingdom as it used to be in the middle of valley surrounded by a lake. The only mountain left on it was the Mountain Man.

The Marauders were a nice group of Viking people with blue skin and sturdy bodies. They were all male and they loved to fight and have great feasts.

At sunset a blue armored man walked with a lamp on his hand and began to light up the torches around the feasting table. Finn and Jake were sitting there. The yellow dog held Finn's blue shirt on his hands and was sewing the tore cloth with pixie's magic thread. The boy just stared at him while drinking grape juice from a mug.

The jailer entered the hut were Princess Bubblegum was finishing giving Marceline's forearm a few stitches. Susan was next to them and noticed the demon coming, she tried to make him signals to go away but he ignored it and entered anyway.

When the vampire noticed his presence she pulled the bed's blankets abruptly to cover her body and began throwing stuff furiously at him "What the hell is wrong with you!" she yelled picking up the water bucket and tossing it towards him "You can't enter just like that!" she continued yelling while looking for something else to throw at him.

The demon dropped himself onto the floor covering his wet head and asking for forgiveness.

"What do you want?" Bubblegum asked with a harsh tone in her voice.

"Sorry…shishhh!" the red demon replied standing up and turning around to give them his back "I just wanted to know what are we going to do now that the Lich's got the Nightosphere amulet in his power."

Marceline blinked in confusion "W-what do you mean? I have the Nightosphere amulet here…" she said taking it out of her jean's pocket.

"Impossible!" he replied turning around to see it "It-it's true, you have it…then, what the heck is going on here?"

The vampire sighed deeply "I think I know what happened…" she said staring at the window "the Vampire King must have taken Flame P's amulet during the fuss, that's why she couldn't find it although she looked unstintingly for it…"

"Sorry for your friend, but that's a relief…" the bat-like demon replied crossing his arms "If he had the real amulet he would have been able to release the chaotic demons you Abadeer's locked away in the depths of the Nightosphere…"

"I know…"

"So that explains the cosmic signal we tracked this morning going into the labyrinth…" Princess Bubblegum said placing her hand on her chin.

"He'll come back for it…" Susan whispered, "Once he realizes…"

"We can't just sit and wait until that happens…" Marceline said, "We have to go into the Nightosphere as soon as possible, kill that freak and retrieve Flame P's amulet!"

Princess Bubblegum nodded "We'll be leaving in the morn…"

/

"Here's your shirt, good as new!" Jake said giving Finn his blue shirt.

"Thanks bro, I was freezing!" he said putting it on happily "Now my hat!" he tossed it into Jake's face.

"You could've say please at least…" the dog moaned. Finn laughed. "Man you should consider cutting your hair a bit, it's passed your shoulders now…"

"Nah…I like it!" Finn finished drinking his grape juice and noticed an orange glow by the lake. He sighed and stood up from the table.

"Dude, where are you going?" Jake asked staring at his brother.

"I'm going to check on Flame P, she's been acting pretty weird since she arrived…"

"Oh Finn! Didn't you know?" Jake gasped stinging his finger with the needle "Auch!…" he whispered.

"Know what?" he asked tilting his head.

Jake spoke with a dull voice "Her father was killed this morning, he tried to protect her from that cursed vampire guy…"

Finn opened his eyes startled "Damn man! Why didn't I know that before?" he shouted running towards the lake.

/

The Flame Princess sat on the ground; the grass around her was burned. She groaned angrily slapping the ashes into the air. She stared at a blue flower in front of her and remembered the first time she saw one. It was when she left the Flame Kingdom to chase the "Awesome Prince", she didn't know what they were but she thought they were beautiful. She tried to touch one with her fingers and the fire consumed it almost immediately. She gasped in surprise not expecting that. At that moment she learned that everything in that new world would be reduced to ashes because of her touch. She became even angrier now.

"Flame P!" she heard Finn's voice calling her.

"Leave me alone, will you?" she replied frowning.

Finn arrived and sat next to her while catching his breath "I'm sorry I didn't know that-" he tried to speak.

"It doesn't matter anymore…he's gone" she looked at him "Go away please, I need a moment!"

"But…you've been alone the whole day…" he replied placing his hand on her shoulder. It burned. "Shoot!" he moaned retrieving his hand and waving it to relief his pain "Flame P…"

"I lost it! Okay?" she yelled "Now get out of here, I don't wanna see you!"

Finn swallowed saliva and stared at her with concern "I don't want to leave you alone…"

"Well you should… I'm dangerous again…" she placed her eyes on him "This will never work, please go I don't want to hurt you…" she whispered.

"I-I don't care!" he replied, "I've told you that before!"

"Finn…you know that's not true" Flame P turned her face away "Once you touch me, you'll get hurt and you'll have to get away from me…"

"If you are talking about that day…I…I was…" he tried to look at her "I'll show you that's not going to tear us apart!"

"Unless you can stand the pain, I don't-" she froze. Finn was too close.

He leaned in placing his lips close to her's slowly. He felt the heat that threatened to burn him; he just ignored it and closed his eyes. Flame P closed her eyes too enjoying the soft touch on her skin, his golden bangs tickled her nose; she had never felt something like that before. She wanted to embrace him but she knew she'll just hurt him more, she lowered her head slowly taking away her lips from him "What is it?" he asked.

"You know it's useless…" she whispered staring at him "you are in pain…"

Finn quickly grabbed her wrists and pulled her towards him kissing her again, this time she wouldn't be able to escape, his grip on her was tight. She surrendered and pressed her mouth against his face again, tasting his lips.

When the heat was to much for him he softened his grip on her wrists and removed his lips away from her's gently "It will hurt more not to have you…" he said smiling at her "I don't care if we were not made for each other, I still believe we are meant for each other…"

She stared at him in astonishment, he was burned but he was smiling. Finn didn't care if they were opposites, he loved her anyway and he will dare to overcome anything just to be with her. Flame P began to feel weak, too many strong emotions in one day. She placed her head under his chest "Foolish boy…" she whispered holding him.

"Foolish girl…" he replied placing his arms around her. He felt the heat, he felt the pain, but what mattered the most…he felt her close to him. Finn knew he'd suffer more without her, why couldn't she understand that?

The giant mountain man chuckled in the distance "What a lovely view…"

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Seriously people thanks for the reviews, I almost fell from my chair while reading them, I never thought this story was that good...your are awesome guys and don't worry I'll keep updating it as soon as I can, see you later!


	18. Kicking Royal Butts with Red Boots!

Tale 18: Kicking royal butts with red boots!

Meanwhile in the Lumpy Space after nightfall…

"Melissa…Melissa… Give me my phone Melissa!" L.S.P. floated around her pink lumpy friend with an annoyed stare.

"Yeah Brad it was awful! And then I stepped on my cellphone!" Melissa said floating over L.S.P's light purple bed.

L.S.P. rolled her eyes "How the lump could you have stepped on your phone? You don't have feet!"

"Mhmm Brad, yeah sweetie see you soon!" Melissa continued talking while ignoring the princess.

"I'm waiting for a call Melissa! Hang the phone!" L.S.P shouted in her "ear."

"Tonight at Shaudalla's place, yeah, yeah, I got it!" Melissa covered the phone with her hand and looked at the lumpy princess "Brad says hi!"

"Hi, whatever! Melissa…the phone!" L.S.P yelled angrily.

The lumpy pink cloud giggled "Love you too, bye!" she hanged up the phone.

"Finally…" L.S.P. was about to grab it when…

"Oh great we need the phone!" the Lumpy King/Queen said entering L.S.P's room and taking the phone away from her "Hi, Pizza Durbf?"

"Mom, dad!" the lumpy space princess shouted angrily "I need you to hang the phone!"

"Wait just a second darling!" her mother replied "Yeah? Yes I want two hundred special slices with stardust on top…and extra cheese!" her father said holding the phone.

L.S.P. groaned clenching her fists and began to yell at them "Hang the lumping phone! I need it! I'm waiting for a FREAKING CALL SO HANG IT NOW AND GIVE IT TO ME! IT'S MY PHONE!" she had to stop to catch some breath.

"Yeah…of course I can pay for it!" the lumpy king said frowning at the phone, clearly ignoring L.S.P's sudden burst. "Well I'm sorry, I have like a bazillion mouths to feed!" He began to shout, "What the lump do you mean by-! It's not my fault that a walking death creep decided to consume the land on Sunday!" he floated around the room while L.S.P frowned at him "No I don't want the-! …Listen we are the largest shelter in Ooo and the refugees are hungry, so get moving with my order!" the Lumpy Space King loosened his tie and placed his hand on his forehead "Then get a bigger lumping bike! I don't care!"

L.S.P was losing her patience and began to snarl at her father.

"Great…yeah Vizza master card …No! I don't have Lumper Express!" the king said holding the phone in front of his face while screaming. The Lumpy Space Queen pocked his shoulder "Don't forget the soda, darling!" he smiled "Oh and 157 liters of "Pepcoke!" …I DON'T CARE IF YOU'LL NEED A TANK! JUST BRING THE LUMPING FOOD! …Good night sir!" he yelled hanging the phone abruptly and stared and his daughter "Can you believe it? What a terrible service!"

The Lumpy Space Princess sighed loudly "May I use my phone NOW?"

"Sweet heart, it's your phone! You don't have to ask for permission to use it!" her mother replied patting her head with a big smile.

"NO?" the purple teenager asked sarcastically while picking the lumpy phone. It began to ring "Just in time…" L.S.P said while glaring at her parents "L.S.P here!" she said answering the call.

"_L.S.P what the heck? I've been trying to call you for hours!"_

"I know! But there's a bunch of idiots…cough my parents…cough…Melissa…cough…taking MY phone for themselves!"

"_Hey, don't yell at the phone please…my head!"_

"Sorry Bubblegum…I can't help it! I tend to yell when am freaked out!" L.S.P paused for a moment "How are you guys? Are you still alive?" there was concern in her voice.

The Lumpy Space King/Queen noticed this and turned to look at her "You are talking with them?" the queen asked.

L.S.P nodded and began to play with the phone's string curling it around her finger.

"…_Yeah…well, we almost got killed yesterday a couple of times, but that's how the cookie crumbles, don't worry" _

"Guys! We are giving you all of our support!" the king said snatching the phone from the princess's hand "Don't ever give up, okay? We are counting on you!"

"Dad!" L.S.P shouted lifting her arms angrily.

Melissa floated towards the lumpy king and talked at the phone "Hi, Finn!"

"What the lump? Melissa! I know he's the hot one but-" L.S.P tried to grab the phone but her father floated away. She crashed with a wall.

"Everyone is waiting for you, listen!" L.S.P's father opened the room's window and shouted at the refugees that were camping around their house "Hey! They are on the phone!"

The Ooocian crowd cheered excitingly. Princess Bubblegum couldn't understand what they said on the other side of the phone, but smiled hearing the happy cries.

"_Whoa! How many people are there with you Lumpy Space King?"_

"The lumpers, a bunch of grasslanders, some strange folks known as the Hyoomen tribe and the whole Candy Kingdom, princess!" he replied joyfully.

"_It pleases me to hear that they are doing fine, thank you L.S.K."_

L.S.P pushed her father and caught the phone "You'd better return in one piece, you hear me?"

"_We'll try to!"_

"Where are you now? Is everyone with you?"

"_We are recovering ourselves at the Marauder's Village, yeah everyone's here, we are taking dinner with this…particular Viking guys…" _

L.S.P sighed, "Give them my regards, okay? Tell em' that L.S.P is working hard to make things work around here and that she's waiting to give them all a big lumpy hug!"

Princess Bubblegum laughed _"Sure! I have to go now…these guys talk very loudly and it's hard to speak, I promise to call you back when we find another opportunity! See you L.S.P, take care!"_

The Lumpy Space Princess was sobbing, "Take care guys, YOU'D BETTER COME BACK, OKAY?" she hanged the phone and stared at her parents "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME?"

The Lumpy Space King/Queen stared to each other in confusion. Suddenly a Minotaur head popped at the window.

"Hey ya guys! If you are so worried about them we can watch their journey in my magical viewing globe!" Mannish Man said entering their house.

"Really?" Everyone in the room replied.

"Yeah! We could use the cinema's screen, so everyone can watch them as well!"

L.S.P began to fly in excitement "You guys wait over here, I'll personally go bring that thing!"

Her parents stared at her with concern "daughter it's dangerous to go out there!" the Queen cried.

"Don't worry your majesties, I'll call a group of friends and we'll go with her. The Minotaur replied happily.

"If you promise to protect her, we'll let you go!" the lumpy king said.

Mannish Man laughed flexing his muscles eagerly "Yeah, don't worry king!" Someone ringed the door's bell and the mannish beast began to smell the air "I think the pizzas are here!"

/

So, L.S.P, Mannish man, Mr. pig, Tree Trunks and Flambo set out on a journey to rescue the old drive in theater 's screen. The Lumpy Space Princess opened the mushroom and frog portal and the new-formed gang jumped out of the Lumpy Space Kingdom. The moon was shining bright over their heads, but its light was not enough to help them see where they were going. Luckily Flambo offered himself to light the way. He walked on his four feet waving his fiery tail happily.

"Tell me again how is it that a small pig, an old lady elephant, a sexy lumpy beauty, a burning mouse and a human-like bull will be able to retrieve a giant screen without getting killed by flesh eating zombies in the process?" L.S.P asked crossing her arms.

"Nahhh, don't worry this is an elite rescue team!" Mannish replied waving a giant axe he brought with himself. "We are strong and smart!"

"I'm a little bit worried about the last word…" the purple girl whispered.

"Thank Glob, the Candy Kingdom is close to your portal, maybe we won't have to fight those horrible creatures…" Tree Trunks said holding a basket with five apple pies inside; she covered them with a pink cloth napkin to keep them warm. The sweet steam smell wrapped itself around their noses.

"Probably, but I think that smell will attract them…" Flambo said turning his head to look at her "Why'd you bring those?"

"To give you guys an energy boost! I put extra cinnamon on them!" the small elephant replied waving her basket from one side to the other, its lovely smell became stronger.

Mr. Pig smiled walking by her side "You're so considerate, that's why I love you!"

"Oh my!" she replied blushing.

The group kept their pace at normal speed until they reached the Candy city. The whole gang let escape a gasp of horror when they glimpsed the fallen kingdom. The Lich's dark powers had already consumed it. There was no trace of the once colorful rooftops that surrounded the palace. Everything was wrecked, broken pieces of glass threatened to cut their bare feet as they walked slowly between the silent city's debris. A strange green mist covered the air. It made it difficult for them to see. Flambo tried intensifying his flames by eating a piece of apple pie that he turned into coal with his body heat, but it just helped a little.

"To t-think that…we were trapped inside the dungeons a few days ago…" Mr. Pig whispered with a shaky voice.

"Oh…if the poor princess sees this, her heart would be broken into small sugar cubes…" Tree Trunks said lowering her ears.

"Try not to think bout' that!" Flambo replied, "Focus on crossing to the other side of the city!"

"Oh my Glob…what if…another of those evil monsters that attacked us in the Candy Palaces jumps out of nowhere and eats us!" L.S.P was biting her nails as she floated behind them.

Mannish man laughed "And you wanted to come by yourself! Don't worry this place is empty, I can assure you that nothing is lurking in the shadows preparing to attack us and rip off our organs!"

The Lumpy Space Princess stopped herself paralyzed by fear "WHAT?"

"Ooohh…I think I talked too much…" the Minotaur replied scratching the back of his head.

Flambo blinked and stood on two feet trying to smell the air "Seriously lady, your pie's smell is worrying the spark out of me, it's too strong!"

"Should we stop to eat them now?" Tree Trunks asked innocently.

The flambit slapped his face "Okay eat them, make that smell disappear before-!" A dull growl made him shut his mouth "Did y'all hear t-that?" he asked. His knees started to shiver.

The manly minotaur swallowed saliva and took out his axe "W-when I-I gi-give you the….siss- signal run as fap- fast as you can…" The group nodded. The growls became louder.

"Guys…" L.S.P cried in a high-pitched tone. Something cold touched her "hair"

"D-don't move!" Flambo said aiming at her "I'm going to take it off from you!"

"Take WHAT off from ME?" the lumpy princess shouted not wanting to see her what was behind her.

The small fire being took a deep breath and spat a fireball at her. She screamed taking cover while the fire hit a candy zombie. L.S.P floated away and hid behind Mannish. They were surrounded by the undead.

"Suuuugarrrrr…." The zombies whispered walking slowly towards them.

"C-crab!" Mr. Pig shouted pushing his wife backwards, "there are too many!"

Mannish man stepped in front of them "Remember that I told you to runaway when I gave you the sign?"

"Yeah…" the gang replied.

"Here's the signal; RUN!" the Minotaur began to slash the dead candy people scattering sticky sugar flesh in the ground.

Then didn't have to think it twice and ran desperately fast trying to escape from the cursed Candy Kingdom. When they saw the gate that conducted to the grasslands the small team of four clapped cheerfully until…

"NONE SHALL PASS!" A giant gumball machine man yelled blocking the way.

Mr. Pig and Tree Trunks, formerly inhabitants of the Candy Kingdom recognized him as one of the two gumball guardians who used to sit on one of the kingdom's walls blowing bubbles. Their job was to defend Princess Bubblegum's homeland and her people; they also had the duty of punishing whoever broke a Royal Promise. A zombie must have bitten this one, his eyes glowed in green and his head was shattered.

The giant lifted his fist willing to crush them. Flambo and L.S.P closed their eyes waiting for the blow while the animal couple hugged each other.

"Glob saves us!" Tree Trunks screamed pressing her head against her husband.

The blow never came. The terrified fellas opened their eyes to see that the other royal guardian blocked the blow with his hand.

"Run now!" he ordered pushing his old companion back with punch on the gut "Must defend kingdom at all cost!" the guardian yelled raising his fist.

Mannish man managed to escape from the city and pulled his teammates out of the giant's battlefield. They entered the grasslands and in less than a minute reached the old drive in cinema.

They stopped their pace to catch their breath "That…was a close one…huh?" Mannish said while panting.

"You think so?" L.S.P replied angrily. "Glob! You certainly are a-!"

"Shhh!" Mr. Pig forced her to close her mouth "I can hear something!"

"Something…goods or something…bads?" Flambo asked placing his hands on his chin.

The pig frowned "Bads…"

"YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME!" the lumpy princess shouted at him spitting saliva.

"Miss…I'll never joke in this kind of situations!" he replied while cleaning the saliva drops from his face.

"Stay close!" Mannish man ordered lifting his blade "I can hear it too, they are here…hidin' inside the cars…" he squinted his eyes to watch the gloomy figures staring at them.

Breaking the vehicle's windows the undead creatures jumped towards them. The Minotaur tried to slash them away while Flambo fired tirelessly.

"It's useless!" Mr. Pig yelled, "Those things just keep bouncing back at us!"

"Man…I wish I could fireblast like my princess" Flambo said punching his fists "That's some real power!"

"It would be wonderful if you'd try to do it!" Tree Trunks replied protecting her apple pie basket.

"You know what lady? You're right, I gotta try ma' fire moves!" the small flambit ran forwards on his four and faced the zombies "I'll melt you into caramel fudge!" he yelled swallowing a huge amount of air.

Unbelievably for his mates and for himself a mighty fire wave was unleashed over the walking corpses reducing them to sugar slime in seconds.

Flambo blinked in astonishment, he could swear that his jaw was touching the ground "I…did that?"

The Minotaur was about to say something when ten fiery trails stroke the night sky with their bright and hypnotizing colors. The gang followed the breath taking stunts of the mysterious fire flashes with their wide-opened eyes. They divided sending five of them at jet-like speed into the horizon and the other five hit the ground in front of the startled team. They stared at the blazing flame columns as they took human-like forms.

"Fi-fire elementals!" the Lumpy Space Princess said rubbing her eyes for being blinded with their glow.

Five tall men stood before them wearing orange and yellow colored uniforms and red military boots. Their fiery hair moved wildly with the wind's blow and they had stern looks on their faces.

"They aren't just fire elementals…" Flambo whispered staring at them with big amazed eyes "They are from the Fire Kingdom's army…"

His teammates looked at each other "Fire Kingdom's army?"

"That's right!" One of them replied walking forward and staring at Flambo "This is not a place for a flambit like you!" he lifted his gaze towards the rest "Why are you not talking shelter?"

"W-well, because…" Tree Trunks was about to reply.

"Wait! What is the Fire Kingdom's army doing here?" Mr. Pig demanded walking forward.

"Hmmph!" the fire soldier replied crossing his arms "We are just following orders!"

Another one stepped out "The Flame Princess formed an alliance with the Candy Kingdom!"

"To defend the shelters and to save the likes of you from any danger!"

"That's our mission!" the five soldiers said bursting in flames at the same time.

Tree Trunks watched them in amazement "Cool! Or should I say…hot!" she said. The pig groaned and elbowed her annoyed.

"We'll take you to the closest shelter, for your sake, I suggest that you do exactly what I say! Understood?" their leader ordered hitting the ground with his foot.

"Y-yes!" they replied.

"Yes what?" the fire soldier said hitting the ground again.

"Yes sir!" they answered frightened.

"Let's go then!" he said turning to his comrades "We don't have time to waste!"

"Wait a second! What about the freaking screen?" L.S.P said floating towards her friends.

"That's right, we can't leave without it!" Mannish man replied, "Excuse us, fire…umm pals…but are on a mission too!"

The blazing soldier glared at him "We are not your pals!"

"Okay, fine whatever Mr. angry mood, but we have to take that thing…" L.S.P said pointing the old screen behind them "To the Lumpy Space shelter, we came from there just to retrieve it and we are not leaving without it!"

The fire elemental sighed "Very well…take it with you."

"Oh, thank you so much, handsome!" Tree Trunks said joyfully.

"Wh-what?" the flame soldier asked blushing.

"Ignore her…she has a weakness for hot-looking guys like you…" Mr. Pig said angrily "Not that I think you're hot or anything at least not hot, like _hot_, you know what I mean!"

"Huh?" the soldier blinked confused and shook his head "Just hurry up!"

/

The fire elementals escorted the gang back to the frog and mushroom portal, eliminating the zombie horde from the Candy city with their (as described by Flambo) ultra awesome fireblasts and saving the giant gumball guardian in the way. Tree Trunks offered them her apple pies and they accepted hesitantly, although they wouldn't show it…they fell in love with its flavor.

Once they arrived to the Lumpy Space Kingdom Mannish man went to Monty, Glasses and Lenny, whose L.S.P referred to as lumping geek posers, to help him install the screen and reproduce the magical viewing globe's images on it.

"So the fire army is here to protect us?" the Lumpy Space King said staring at his daughter "That's just great!"

"Yeah, great if you like being shouted by hot headed guys all the time!" she replied yelling at him.

"Of course, it's impossible for us to imagine how annoying that must be…" the lumpy king/ queen said turning to look at each other.

"What the lump was that? I saw the sarcasm in there!" She screamed pointing them in a menacing way.

"Get ready everyone!" the pink colored lumper known as Monty called their attention.

"The screen is installed and connected to the magical viewing globe, all we need to do is to turn it on…" the fish-like lumpy person known as Glasses added while cleaning his…ahem…glasses.

"Then what are you waiting for? Turn that thing on!" L.S.P ordered.

"Yeeehaaa!" Mannish man said elbowing Key-per who was sitting by his side "Finally something worth watching, I can't wait!"

"Yeah…" the old yellow man replied "Umm…hand me the popcorn please!"

/

The marauders were eating and laughing cheerfully enjoying the company of Jake, Marceline, Susan and Bubblegum. The last one still had some problems to get used to the marauder's impolite ways but she tried to keep her mouth shut and smile as much as possible, after all they had been very kind with them.

The marauder's chief, a mid-aged man with a long blonde beard and a golden winged-helmet on his head laughed loudly spitting his drink all over the table while listening to Marceline's stories. Princess Bubblegum lifted her hand to cover her face and cursed her royal blood in her mind, why? Because the chief had never met a real princess before and wanted her to sit next to him, I don't need to mention that everything that fell from his mouth ended up on her plate, clothes and face.

"Ha,ha,ha! She confused him with a frog!" the chief and his men laughed repeating Marceline's last story.

"Imagine that, to confuse a man with a frog, hehe!" Jake said before drinking some grape juice from his mug "she must have been blind!"

"Nah, it was dark and he was dressed in green…" Marceline replied grabbing her mug "Hey squid! Fill it again please!" she threw her mug to the bartender squid that was sitting on the center of a big tree. He pulled a lever with his tentacles and served her more juice. "It's not Cherry Herring, but we might die tomorrow so, who cares?"

"Well, I think that's the strangest story you've told until now…" Bubblegum said faking interest in their conversation.

"There's one even weirder that my mom told me when I was a child" the vampire replied "It was about a prince that was turned into a frog for…I don't now, he did something wrong, the point is that a princess found him and kissed him" Marceline chuckled "Tell me what kind of princess kisses a frog, huh? Especially if she was like miss Bonnie here! Anyway, the frog turned into a prince again…"

"And she fell in love and married him…" the candy princess said.

"Ha! You wish, she turned him into a frog again and ate his legs with butter cream and onions!" Everyone on the table laughed except for Bubblegum who was deeply disgusted.

"Yahhgg, Marceline! Everything you say ends up the same!" the princess complained.

"Yeah, I know…I hate onions too…or was it garlic?" Marceline mumbled playing with her fork. Bubblegum just slapped her face.

"It reminds me of another story I know…" the marauder's chief said "It was before our big Smash em' down fighting contest!"

"Here we go again…" the pink haired princess whispered covering her face.

"Oh! The Smash em' down fighting tournament?" Jake asked getting excited "Finn and I have always wanted to enter!"

Princess Bubblegum saw the opportunity to change conversation theme and interrupted Jake "Speaking of Finn, where is he?"

The yellow bulldog finished his drink "He's somewhere with Flame P, I don't really know."

"Jake! You should worry more about your brother!" P.B. scolded him.

"Why? He can take care of himself now; I bet ten bucks that he doesn't even have a scratch on his skin!" he replied placing his head in his hands and leaning his chair backwards.

"Hey, guys!" A seared Finn said sitting at the table "what are you having for dinner? I'm hungry!"

Jake fell from his chair "Dude! What the flip happened to you?" he yelled while standing up.

Princess Bubblegum stared at the magical dog "You owe me ten bucks…" Jake hit his head against the table.

"Nothing, I'm fine!" Finn replied, "Bro, did you finished sewing my hat?"

"Hat? I'll have to work on your entire outfit again!" Jake complained watching him carefully "Where have you been?"

"I was with Flame P, why are you asking? I just heard you telling Peebles the same thing…" the boy wondered staring at his brother in confusion.

"Don't freak out doggy…" Marceline said before picking up her mug and drinking from it. She placed it on the table and cleaned her mouth with her arm "Flame P lost her amulet during our battle, that's explains his hobo condition…"

Jake groaned loudly turning his gaze to the heavens "I just lost ten bucks, I could've picked the Wildberry Princess from the start, but nooo…Flambo had to scream like a girl!"

"Huh?" everyone at the table gasped not understanding what the dog just said.

/

Princess Bubblegum and Jake took the scorched boy to the improvised infirmary where the Ice King was finishing his work on "Puddle" the snow golem that Marceline and the Flame Princess rescued on their way to the Fire Kingdom. The Vampire Queen decided that "Puddle" was a good nickname for him, so he stayed like that and he liked it.

"Okay, golem I have just finished using my freezing spell on you! The vampire girl forced me to use the lowest temperatures I could create so that you won't melt down fast, just don't get close to fire you hear me?" the Ice King warned taking off his crown and swiped away some sweat from his head.

Puddle who was sitting on the bed nodded happily and stood up whistling out of the hut. The fire wolf cub had been hiding under the bed the whole time and decided to come out.

"I can't believe the things, that I have to do to avoid getting killed by some creepy girl…" the ice sorcerer complained grumbling to himself. Suddenly he started to feel something on his foot, it was funny at first but it quickly turned irritating. He decided to look at his feet and saw the little wolf licking his foot.

"I think there's some ointment in the infirmary that we can use to soothe those burns…" Bubblegum said pulling Finn's arm when they heard a girlish scream.

"Ignore that, life has taught me that it only brings trouble!" Jake replied to the concerned faces of his companions.

The Ice King came out of the hut running and moving his arms in wave motion while screaming in a high-pitched voice "A horrible animal got into the hut! Take it away from me! Away! Away! Away!"

Jake, Finn and Princess Bubblegum watched him pass by while leaving a trail of dust behind him, and then looked at the hut. Gunter came out followed by the fire puppy.

"Wenk!"

"Bark!"

They just ignored what happened and entered the hut.

"I still don't understand how did you get burned in this way!" the princess said bandaging Finn's arm.

"I'll tell you how!" Jake replied checking his brother's face "This kid here, is the living proof that love is not only blind, but careless and stupid!" he paused for a second "Stupid more than anything, people always do stupid things under the love's influence!"

"Look who's talking Mr. let's run naked through a farmer's field!" Finn mocked him.

"Hey! How did you?" Jake blushed "That was a secret between Lady and me!"

"You talk while you are asleep didn't you know?" his human brother answered.

Jake just covered his face ashamed. "Well…but you didn't have to tell that in front of Princess Bubblegum…Glob…"

"Be quiet you two! It's hard to focus with all that noise!" Bubblegum scolded them grabbing Finn's chin with both hands and moving his head to both sides while searching for more burns. She noticed the burnt mark on his lips and gasped retrieving her hands from his face.

"Oh my Glob! Drama Bomb!" L.S.P shouted watching them on the screen.

The rest of the audience forced her to shut up with the typical "SHHHH!" noise.

Finn blushed staring at her "What?" he asked surprised by her reaction.

"N-nothing, I must be getting tired…here" she said giving him the ointment "This will help you with that…" she began to look for something.

"Did you lose something?" Jake asked watching the disrupted girl.

"Where is the door?" Princess Bubblegum asked scratching her head.

"Behind you…" both guys replied with a blank expression on their faces.

"R-right, hehe!" she replied nervously while pointing her forehead "the crazy things one does while being tired, hehe!"

"Yeah, crazy stuff…" Jake replied watching her leave the place and then stared at his brother with a silly smile.

"What?" Finn asked blinking in confusion.

"Don't tell me that you didn't see what just happened!" he asked lifting his arms in astonishment.

"She was…tired?" the human boy answered tilting his head.

Jake sighed in defeat "You're so naïve…dude, I don't wanna be around when Flame P starts asking you for children…"

"What?"

/

Princess Bubblegum walked out trying to chill her nerves. She couldn't understand her own reaction; she never cared for Finn in _that way, _she had always seen him as a good and dear loyal friend. What the lump? She even was happy when she found out about Flame P, a princess of his same age that-

"Could it be…?" she asked to herself remembering when she was turned thirteen after their first encounter with the Lich. "Stupid inner feelings!" she yelled kicking a nearby tree only to find herself jumping in one foot while holding the other in pain. "Stupid tree!"

She heard laughter in the distance and decided to go over there. Bubblegum didn't want to get herself involved into some kind of messed up relationship with her friends. She just needed to take a deep breath and think in something else "Yeah, getting distracted! That will help…" she whispered to herself following the sound of laughter.

"Over here buddy! Jump!" Susan said while holding a stick over her head.

The fire wolf cub jumped and barked waving his tale eagerly at her. Meanwhile the others watched them play forgetting about whatever fate awaited for them in the Nightosphere's depths.

"Hey friend, come here! Chase the leaf!" Puddle said waving a leaf that he had attached to branch. The little wolf began to run in circles following it.

"Friend?" the Flame Princess asked scratching his head. It seemed that she had regained back some of her spirit. "We should find him a name, don't you think?"

The Ice King thought for a moment "How about…Gunter…" he said solemnly making a horizontal line in the air with his hands like if it was the most unique name in history.

"That's as far as you simple mind can go, huh?" Marceline replied polishing her restored and beloved weapon while sitting on a high tree's branch. "What if we call him…Emppu!"

"Emppu? What's an Emppu?" Susan asked sitting on the grass.

"He used to be a great guitarist!" the vampire replied. Everyone stared at her "From before the Mushroom war? Any?" she sighed impatiently "Forget it…" she said playing some random notes on her bass.

"He looks more like a…Rogelio to me!" The gang turned to look at the Marauder's chief "What?" he asked lifting his hands.

"Seriously man…Rogelio the fire wolf?" Marceline asked looking at him from her branch.

"What about Cobi?" Bubblegum said arriving to the scene.

"Yo! Bonnibel!" The vampire said jumping down "What took you so long?"

"Nah…I was just, walking around…" she replied placing her hands inside her pink hoodie's pockets, "So, what do you think?"

"Do you like Cobi friend?" the snow golem asked patting the wolf's head.

"Hey! What did I tell you about the fire?" the Ice King scolded Puddle pinching his shoulder. The puppy panted sticking out his tongue and barked joyfully at them.

"Then Cobi will be!" Billy replied smiling at them.

"Hey Froggy!" Marceline called him "Help me test this beauty! Will ya?" she held her shining axe-bass between her hands.

"Sure! I was needing some exercise!" the legendary hero said stretching his muscles, then he called his sword Nothung and thrust it on the ground to clean the skull on the handle's top.

"Hey fire girl!" the Ice King said calling Flame P "Twenty five bucks to the green guy if he kicks the vampire's butt!"

She smiled defiantly "You think so? I accept the bet" the Flame Princess yelled at the vampire queen "Win me twenty five bucks, Marceline!"

The marauders began to gather around the fighters cheering and clapping, after all that's what they truly liked; a friendly battle between two great warriors, what could more exciting than that?

Finn and Jake arrived to the place and saw Marceline struggling to push Nothung's sharp edge away from her neck with her red axe. They walked towards Flame P and the Ice King's side.

"Hey, what's going on?" Finn asked to no one in particular putting his hat on.

"This guys are fighting and I bet twenty five bucks on the green one!" the Ice King replied not looking at them.

"Cool!" Jake said stretching his body to look over the crowd "C'mon Billy! Use your right hook on her! No mercy!" he yelled enjoying the battle.

"Finn, tell me something…" Flame P said calling his attention "What are bucks exactly?"

"Hmm? Well…" he began explaining, "It's money, you know, to buy yourself nice stuff!"

"Oh…" she whispered getting the idea.

"What kind of nice stuff, Finn?" this time it was Susan Strong asking.

"Well…I don't know…toys, food, junk…toys…" he replied trying to make himself clear.

"Nah…Susan can't understand money junk, better watch and enjoy the fight!" she said patting his back.

"Yeah, let's do that!" he said placing his arms around Susan's and Flame P's shoulders. Of course he forgot he'll get burned "Darn it…" the human boy grumbled in the lowest tone he could while smiling weakly trying not to worry his fiery girlfriend, but she was too focused in the fight to notice.

/

The wind's blowing sound echoed between the cold labyrinth walls. Nine figures could be seen standing inside of it, like if they were waiting for the break of dawn.

"What does your radar says?" the bat-like jailer demon asked at Princess Bubblegum.

"We are over it, but…why can't we see him?" she replied staring at her device.

"That's because he's inside the Nightosphere…an alternate dimension" Marceline said walking forward "Let's get in… Finn! The bug milk!" she ordered while dragging her axe in the ground to draw a disturbing smiling face on it.

Finn took off his backpack and began searching inside of it "Here you go Marcy!" the boy said while tossing the carton box at her.

Marceline caught it easily and ripped off its top to open it, then she spilled the milk over her drawing while the rest of the gang observed her carefully. The Vampire Queen made a few steps backwards and placed her hands over the ground. She closed her eyes and chanted "_Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum!"_

"Evil be with you and with your spirit…" Billy whispered staring at her. "That's what it means." Finn whistled interested.

The portal opened in the form of a deep fiery pit. The flames rose from the hole on the ground making everyone jump backwards "Well…who wants to go first?" Marceline asked passing her axe's belt over her shoulders and attaching it to her back.

Finn and Jake nodded at each other "We'll go!" the human said taking some impulse before running and jumping into the portal followed by Jake.

Susan Walked to the edge and peeked into the hole, the Ice King bent down next to her "We…jump there?" she asked nervously staring at the old man.

"After you!" he replied not even wanting to think in the idea of throwing himself into that hell.

"We go then!" the tall woman smiled grabbing the Ice King and jumped pulling him with her.

"What the? No-!" he was dragged into the Nightosphere.

The Flame Princess turned to Billy, like if she were asking for permission. He nodded softly letting her jump first, then he followed taking out his sword "I hope you know what you are doing!" the hero said staring at Marceline.

"No, I don't!" she replied with a smirk "One must be drunk or insane to jump into the Nightosphere voluntarily. Billy rolled his eyes and entered in the portal.

The jailer demon stared at the hero's figure vanishing in the flames "Or being a very courageous dude…" he whispered letting himself fall into the pit.

"Yeah, that too…" the Vampire Queen looked at Princess Bubblegum "What are you waiting for?"

"A-aren't you going to jump in there too?" she asked walking slowly towards the portal.

"Sure, but I have to close the portal, we don't want any chaotic demons escaping into your world, right?"

Bubblegum peeked into the hole nervously "Oh, Glob here I go!" she said closing her eyes "one…two…"

"THREE!" Marceline yelled pushing her abruptly with her foot.

"Darn it! Marceline!" the princess shouted as she fell.

The vampire moved her head sideways before jumping and closing the portal.

/

"Hey! What happened to the screen?" L.S.P complained watching a bunch of senseless stripes where her friend's image should be.

"I don't know! We lost the signal!" the blue lumper known as Glasses replied hitting the magical viewing globe.

"Of course we lost the signal!" Mannish said standing up from his seat and walking towards the screen "They went into the Nightosphere…"

/

Red blood skies decorated with strange mountain-like purple buildings surrounded by a sea of flames received Finn and Jake after their landing.

"This place remains as horrible as always…" Jake said wiping out some dirt from his yellow fur.

"Yeah…but, where are the demons?" Finn asked analyzing the area "this place is supposed to be-" he couldn't finish talking. The Ice King fell over his back. "Ice king! COW!" the blue-eyed boy shouted angrily feeling the weight over his body.

"What? It's been a while since I fell over you!" the wizard replied, "Besides, you know I don't do it intentionally!"

"Just take your butt off me!"

Susan, the Flame Princess and Billy landed skillfully followed by a screaming Princess Bubblegum. Finn stood up and ran to catch her. "Got you Peebles!" he said holding her.

One again her inner thirteen year old betrayed her making her blush "R-right, Finn…thanks!" she replied jumping off from him "cursed childish…" she mumbled walking away.

Marceline descended slowly and hit her boots against the ground checking on the group "Is everybody here? No one got separated?"

"No, everyone's here…" Flame P replied.

"Great, Bonnibel take out your device, guide us to him…"

They walked in silence observing the demon world with perplexed eyes; the only sound was the sparking from the flames surrounding them. The Nightosphere was ominously empty and for some reason, this fact made the jailer demon and Marceline shiver slightly.

"This place feels surely… hollow without the mister, huh?" Finn whispered to Jake.

"Yeah, I even miss him…" Jake replied.

Suddenly Princess Bubblegum stopped her pace and looked at her teammates sternly "Around that corner…" she whispered.

"He must be trying to use the releasing ritual…" Jailer said.

"Releasing ritual?" Finn asked.

"Many centuries ago, the Nightosphere was ruled by a thousand chaotic demons, and I mean _really chaotic_, they were made of pure chaos. Somehow the Abadeer's family managed to lock away their evil spirits in the depths of the Nightosphere and contained that empty space inside of a crystal gem." The bat-like demon spoke slowly.

"Creating the Nightosphere Amulet…" Marceline continued taking it out from her pocket "By wearing this your body will be filled with those evil spirits essence and unless you're powerful enough to control them, you'll be rampaging wildly against everything and everyone forgetting who you are…"

"How do you know that?" Bubblegum asked staring at her.

"We have experienced it, right Finn?" He replied with a nod. "The Lich must be willing to free those demons from the amulet, if he manages to succeed the world as we know it will be…well, just imagine chaos in its most pure form…" Marceline said putting away the amulet.

"Then, the Vampire King must be trying unlock those demons, but he won't be able to do it cause' he got the wrong amulet…" the Flame Princess replied frowning.

"Brilliant, my dear…" a sinister laugh echoed in their heads.

"Crab! He knows we are here!" Jake yelled hiding behind Finn "Forget everything I said, I'm still afraid of vampires!"

"This is just what we needed…" Billy complained holding his sword.

"It's okay, we'll beat him this time!" Marceline replied taking her weapon as well "Finn, careful with this one…you've never fought someone like this before!"

"Don't worry Marcy, I'll do my best!" Jake, Susan and Flame P stood by his side.

The Vampire King appeared in a cloud of black smoke, his burned eyes were closed and the scar on his chest was still bleeding "So…I sense that you brought more friends with you this time, huh?" he said slowly changing into his beast form "I'm getting tired of this nonsense, give me the amulet and I promise I'll kill you faster…" he's voice became like a growling sound.

"Bring it on!" Billy replied waving his sword in the air.

"What the cramp are you doing?" the Ice King shouted shivering.

"So be it then!" The vampire beast roared charging at them.

The battle began, no laughter, jokes, or bets time, just the ever-present fear of losing your life or seeing your friends fall before of your very eyes. Finn and Billy agreed secretly to stab the bat's foot with their swords forcing it to bent down in an attempt to crush them with his fists. Marceline took advantage of the situation and flew over the demon's back to slash his ear with her axe.

The blade was sharp enough to cut through the skin and muscle ripping it off from its head. The Vampire King fell on his knees covering his bleeding ear.

"Ice King! Freeze him to ground now!" Princess Bubblegum yelled pushing the old man out to the battlefield.

"R-right!" he replied extending his arm while shooting two blue ice beams at the fallen beast. The ice mass began to grow, quickly covering the Vampire King's extremities. "Hehehe! It's working!" the Ice King said admiring his own work.

"Well done!" the Flame Princess replied arriving to his side.

"Now it's time to strike the finishing blow!" Marceline yelled lifting her axe-bass "I'll cut your stupid head!" the blade fell slashing the air, but then the unexpected happened.

The vampire beast freed one of his arms and grabbed the Flame Princess. Crushing her within his grasp Flame P was forced to unleash her body heat, melting the Ice King's ice.

"Flame Princess!" Finn yelled watching how the Vampire King opened his wings to break the ice that kept him attached to the ground. He stood up still holding the fire elemental in fist; her burning body increased his rage and he started smashing her against the buildings.

"Darn it!" she groaned biting the vampire's hand to free herself.

The vampire demon cried fiercely licking his burned claw and then glared at the Vampire Queen who was making fun of him. He stood on his four extremities in a lion-like position ready to jump over her. "Give me…THE AMULET!"

"Come and get it!" she replied sticking out her tongue at him.

The Vampire King jumped but he couldn't reach Marceline, something pulled his tail making him crash over the ground.

"Way to go Susan!" Finn shouted lifting his clenched fist.

Susan Strong replied him with a happy thumb up as she held the monster's tail wrapping her arms around it with all her strength "Big guy it's not going anywhere!"

The Flame Princess joined Marceline in the air shaking her skull angrily "Flame P, are you okay?" the vampire girl asked getting closer to her.

"Yeah…" she whispered holding her head "That guy's got into trouble with me now!"

"Let's kick his dirty butt out of our way!" Marceline yelled smiling at the young princess.

The demonic vampire beast's body was being crushed by Jake's elastic powers to give Finn the chance to stab him with his Demon Blood sword, but the Vampire wasn't going to give up so easily. Just a few seconds before the human could have introduced his blade in his chest; he quickly changed into his normal form to escape from the dog's magic powers.

Finn had to stop himself by thrusting his sword into the earth to avoid hitting his brother "Wow man, that was close!" he said staring at him.

"You think so?" Jake replied, his legs were still shivering.

"H-hey! He disappeared!" Princess Bubblegum said running towards them.

Billy stood still watching every possible corner with his eyes while pressing Nothung's handle firmly "C'mon out coward!" he shouted clenching his teeth in frustration.

"Where'd he go?" Flame P asked searching for him as well.

Marceline groaned angrily "He'll jump out in any moment! Stay alert!" a strong arm surrounded her neck without letting anyone notice.

"I'm going to ask politely for it once more…" The vampire King whispered into her ear "Give me the Nightosphere amulet Marceline…"

"If you really want it so badly…" the Vampire Queen said trying to free herself from his grip "You'll have to run for it!"

"What?" he shouted watching how his victim reduced her size into a small bat holding the amulet with her claws.

"Thanks for the tip, fool!" Marceline said winking at him while flying away.

The Vampire King roared loudly turning into a beast to chase her once more. His giant black wings were much faster than her's and she knew it "Froggy!" she yelled tossing the pink gem at Billy before her enemy's fangs could reach her.

He rolled on the ground catching it "Got it!" Now the vampire demon was focusing his attention on the legendary hero "Here's your precious necklace!" Billy said waving it at him.

The gang began to mock the Vampire King by throwing the Nightosphere amulet at each other while dodging his attacks. His patience limit was reduced to zero and changed his tactic.

Jake held the amulet over his head hopping that the beast would charge at him, but he didn't…he charged at Finn instead crashing him into a wall.

Finn growled dropping his sword. The "clank" metal sound of the blade falling against the solid ground made everyone's head turn towards their friend automatically "Let me go, dog bun face!" the boy yelled holding the arm that pressed his neck strongly making it hard to breathe.

"What if don't want to? You've got no shape shifting powers or fire to defend yourself" the vampire chuckled "You're nothing but a human boy!"

The beast tightened his grasp on Finn's throat "You want to save this mortal's life? Then give me the amulet!"

The gang dropped their offensive postures and lowered their gazes. They just couldn't let him die.

Marceline pressed the purple fluorescent jewel in her hand and walked slowly to Bubblegum's side "Hand me that pink sphere we stole from that annoying goblin…" she whispered almost unperceptively.

"Marceline…what do you have in mind?" the princess asked taking the sphere out carefully behind her back.

"Just trust me…" the black haired girl replied grabbing the pink metal ball and placing it inside her jean's pocket. "I'll give you the amulet!" Marceline shouted making her way forward "But you must guess in which hand I'm holding it!"

"What do you think you are doing!" the Ice King complained following her with his eyes.

"I have to agree with him!" Jake replied, "This isn't the time for playing childish games!"

The Vampire Queen ignored them "What is it? Can't you guess?"

Her question made the beast laugh "You must have gone insane already Marceline!"

"I'm serious…" she said glaring at him.

He erased the smirk from his face and pointed her left arm "There!"

"Are you sure?"

The Vampire King thought for a moment "Yes"

Marceline smiled wickedly "why?"

"Because I'm going to rip it off from you anyway!" he replied getting tired of her stupid game.

The Vampire Queen swallowed saliva and stared at her choking friend "Finn I'm going to save you, okay?" she said while holding the Nightosphere amulet in front of her "Here it's all yours!"

"Those are the first coherent words you've spoke since we met" he replied walking towards her.

But when he was close enough to seize the amulet Marceline quickly pulled it away from his reach "Jailer now!" she ordered.

The crimson bat-like demon grabbed Finn right behind the Vampire King's back and flew away at high speed "What the flip is she doing?" Finn yelled at the jailer "That guy is going to kill her!"

The demonic beast roared furiously and charged towards Marceline running on his four. He slammed her violently with his head smashing her against a building.

The rest of the gang reacted attacking him immediately.

"Jailer, help me grab my sword!" Finn staring at him "I wanna fight that thing too!"

"Whatever you say human…" the demon sighed changing his flying direction.

Finn landed and grabbed his sword "Jake!" he shouted calling his adoptive brother "Slingshot time!"

"Coming!" the yellow bulldog replied understanding his plan.

"I'm here! Can't you see me?" the Flame Princess said taunting the wild beast. She hit him with a fireball "How about now?"

Billy took advantage of Flame P's distraction to strike through its tail with his trusted blade. The vampire demon turned furiously at him with the intention of crushing him within his fangs but the legendary hero managed to stop them by holding its pointy teeth tightly with his hands.

Susan ran to his side and helped him to hold the monster's maw open, not caring about the soft and sticky feeling under her bare feet as she stood over his tongue. "Finn! Attack him like when shooting an arrow!"

"Yeah! Yeah! C'mon guys! You can do it!" the Ice King cheered at them while dancing and jumping eagerly behind one of the building's debris.

"Shouldn't you be _helping with the cause_ Ice King?" Princess Bubblegum said staring at him arms crossed "Get out there and fight!" she yelled pushing him out angrily "Glob…"

"Launching the Finn dart in Three, two, one…" Jake counted stretching his body backwards.

"GO!" the young hero shouted before being fired at the Vampire King's mouth pointing his sword forward as he flew at an incredible speed.

The Demon Blood sword stroked right through the vampire's throat and it was like if everything had been frozen in time. No one moved a muscle. Finn pulled out his blade slowly and made a back flip to join his friends far away from the demonic beast's static body.

"I-Is he dead?" Jake asked to his brother when he saw him coming towards them.

"I hope so…" Finn replied turning around to stare at the vampire lying on the ground.

"Eww, you guys are covered with smelly saliva..." the Ice King said touching Finn's arm and stretching a sticky substance with his finger.

"G-guys!" Princess Bubblegum called "I'll hate to be a party pooper but- THAT THING IS DOING SOMETHING WEIRD!"

The Vampire King's body began melt into a dark purple mass and it was spreading around their feet.

"What's the meaning of this?" Billy demanded trying to pull his foot out the liquid. It was impossible.

"A trap!" Finn gasped trying to escape as well.

But there was no use; this time the gang was defenseless. The Vampire's body quickly rearranged his shape and laughed hysterically at them "You are MINE!" the demon screeched aiming his fangs at them "Any last words before I torn your bodies apart?"

"Y-yeah!" Jake replied forming a "T" shape with his hands "Time out!"

"Sorry, there are no time outs in this game!" the beast chuckled charging at them.

"How bout' a riddle?" a voice behind his back said.

The Vampire King stopped his attack searching for the source of the voice "What?" he whispered unable to find it.

"What's made of red leather, looks hot on my feet and it's about to give you a real pain in the ass?"

The beast growled angrily to the tone of that voice "YOU!" he hissed.

"That's right…I'M going to kick your butt!"

"Marceline!" Jake shouted distinguishing the female silhouette behind the flames "Oh Glob! I never thought I'd be so happy to see you!" he blinked "Wait! What the heck are you wearing?"

"S-she! She can't be serious!" Finn replied staring at her. She was in a black business suit. "You put it on! The Nightosphere amulet!"

"And she's not freaking out!" Jake added.

Marceline floated towards them "Yeah…amazing, huh? It was hard to control at first but somehow I made it!"

"D-do you realize what could have happened if-!" Finn tried to scold her but she cut him out.

"I told you I was going to save you!" the Vampire Queen said raising her shoulders "and I was running out of options! Trust me, I hate the idea of having to do this…"

"You are insane…" Bubblegum replied in resignation.

"And you are grateful that I am, don't you?" Marceline said while messing the princess's hair with her hand. She turned around and faced her enemy "Come at me bro!"

The Vampire King stretched his melted torso towards her, but she stopped his attack acquiring her chaotic evil form. A blue bigheaded demon was now holding the beast's fists struggling to push him back. The tension between the two giant's fight made their muscles shiver involuntarily as the two tried fiercely to remain on their feet.

Suddenly Marceline noticed a change in her foe's expression, he was smirking.

"What the?" she growled realizing that her body was being covered with the Vampire King's sticky mass.

"Gotcha…" he laughed pulling her into his body "You and the amulet are mine now!"

"Oh, CRAP!" Finn shouted staring at them.

"A trick?" the blue demon chuckled "Do you know who are you dealing with?" a dim pink light began to glow in her pocket.

"The sphere!" Princess Bubblegum gasped, "Now I get it!"

"Get what?" the Flame Princess asked in confusion.

"Just watch, this is going to be intense!" the candy ruler replied clenching her hands in excitement. "She read the my Ancient Quantum physics and Mechanics book, didn't she?"

"I…guess…" Flame P said unsure of her answer.

"Let's go for a ride!" Marceline shouted letting go of one of the vampire's arm and holding the purple gemstone that hanged on her neck "To the Nightosphere depths!"

"WHAT?" the Vampire King yelled in astonishment as the pink light surrounded both giants making them disappear in the blink of an eye before the rest of the gang.

"W-what happened?" Susan asked noticing the she and her friends were freed from the purple mass.

"Marceline took him into the amulet…" Bubblegum replied staring at her teammates "She's planning to seal him inside it with the other chaotic demons"

"Brilliant…" the Jailer demon whispered blinking his eyes.

/

Marceline woke up and found herself immersed in a world of darkness. She stood back on her feet rubbing her forehead "What a crazy ride…huh?" she observed her surroundings "So this is how the Nightosphere's depths look like, just how I imagined…pure darkness"

"Hehehe! I knew you would come!" a deep voice made her turn around "Come here and give your daddy a big hug!"

A tall man with bluish skin and green demon eyes gave her a joyful fanged smile. He was wearing a white shirt that couldn't cover his bulging belly completely and pair of green-striped pink boxers.

"What are you doing here?" the Vampire Queen asked not believing her eyes "I thought that you were-!"

"Dead? Nah…" he chuckled walking towards her "After those good-for-nothing demons betrayed me, I had no other option than to lock myself inside here. That way, if the Lich managed to get the amulet I would have prevented him from releasing the chaotic evil spirits that dwell in it! Pretty smart, huh?"

"So you were with me all the time?" Marceline asked pointing him.

"Sure it was part of my plan!" the Lord of Evil replied patting her head "I told this could get pretty heavy, even for someone like you remember?"

"That's why I could control the amulet…you were helping me!" she realized slapping his hand away from her hair.

"Yeah! Now give me the amulet so we can get ourselves out of this place!" her father replied.

"Wait, what about the Vampire King?" Marceline asked squinting her eyes "What if he follows us?"

"What? You mean that…you haven't killed him?" he asked in surprise "Marceline!"

"I can't kill him, okay? He's too strong for me!" she replied yelling at him angrily.

"Oh, and you thought you could seal him inside the amulet?" the Lord of Evil said sarcastically.

"Well…Yes!" she answered like if the question were too obvious.

"Fantastic! This is just what we needed!" he shouted lifting his arms "Always rushing without premeditating your actions, you are just like your mother!"

"Yeah? Well, if I stop to meditate my actions we'll have been dead by now!" they began to argue.

"I'm not only talking about this! You do it all the time!" her father said scolding her "That vampire creep wouldn't be following you, if you had listened to me a thousand years ago!"

"What?" she replied frowning.

"I clearly told you not to mess around that crypt in the Underworld, and that was the first thing you did! And why? Cause you-never-listen!"

Marceline chuckled in disbelief "I-I'm the one who never listens?" she said pressing her chest with her hand "I told you not to-!"

"Will you please get over it?" the Lord of Evil begged crossing his arms in exhaustion.

The Vampire Queen's face turned red "You ate my fucking fries, DAMN IT!"

"That's no excuse to go around, waking up powerful evil beings from their eternal slumber!" her father yelled back.

"IT IS FOR ME!" she yelled furiously "You know what? I don't have time for-…" The ground began to shake violently under their feet "Oh-uh…" Marceline's expression softened.

"Yeah, oh-uh…" the Lord of Evil replied biting his lip in concern "Time to get out of here!" he grabbed his daughter's arm and ran away.

/

Finn picked up the amulet and stared at it on his open palm "They are inside this little thing?"

"Hard to believe isn't it?" Billy replied standing by his side "Now we have to wait until she comes out…if she manages to do it…"

Finn pressed the amulet on his hand "Please, c'mon out Marcy!"

/

"Tell me what's going on!" Marceline ordered while running next to her father.

"I'm not sure, but I bet that thing is trying to break himself free!" the Lord of Evil looked into her eyes "You can't just get him inside and hope that his spirit stays sealed!" A fluorescent crystal path shined within the darkness "We have to cross this bridge, hurry!"

"Is he trying to destroy the amulet?" his daughter asked with a stern expression.

"Yeah! We can't let him do it, otherwise he'll release the chaotic demons with him!" he replied still holding her arm.

"What's the plan?"

"Catch that creep and take him out using our powers combined!"

Marceline smiled "Let's do it then!"

They ran as fast as they could, crossing the crystal bridge. The Vampire King was smashing the amulet's walls with his fists. A crack opened on it. The giant beast smiled pleased and continued hitting the walls fiercely.

"Are you ready?" her father asked tightening his grip on her arm. Marceline nodded "One, two…" The Lord of Evil stopped his running and threw his daughter with all his strength in the Vampire King's direction "Three!"

"Hey! Brushie bat!" she yelled lifting her axe-bass over her head "Let me help you out!"

The Vampire King felt her presence coming, but he wasn't fast enough to dodge her attack. The axe pierced through his chest's bleeding scar.

/

"G-guys!" Finn called their attention bouncing the amulet from one hand to the other "this thing is hot!"

"What?" the Jailer demon said touching the amulet. His eyes opened widely "Throw that thing away! NOW!"

The Nightosphere amulet began to glow intensively and Finn was forced to throw it as far as his arm could. When the fluorescent jewel touched the ground three figures were fired out of it in an explosion of light.

Opening her eyes Princess Bubblegum noticed a strange sound coming from her radar. She took it out and checked its screen. She couldn't believe what she saw.

"What is it, Princess?" Jake asked staring at her.

"A-a cosmic weapon just appeared in the area!"

"WHAT?" the whole team replied.

"Darn it…" Marceline complained rubbing her butt "I think I landed over my keys…" she moved her body and found a silver cross under her. A blue sapphire on its center glowed dimly responding to the pink metal sphere on her pocket. "A-a cross?"

"Marceline!" her teammates yelled running towards her "Are you alright?" Billy asked helping her to stand up.

"Yeah, I think so…" she answered still rubbing her…er…where the back loses its name. "Who tossed that thing over there, huh?" the Vampire Queen said looking at the silver cross on the ground.

"Holy everything burrito! Marceline don't touch that!" Jake said slapping her hand when she tried to pick it up "Vampires are weak against this kind of stuff!"

Marceline grabbed it anyway. The gang gasped expecting something bad to happen but…

"I-it doesn't hurt you?" Finn asked staring at her.

"There's something weird about…this cross" she replied analyzing it carefully. An inscription was carved across its the vertical line "_Malum sigillum_?"

"Ma-Marceline! That cross is a cosmic weapon!" Princess Bubblegum said snatching the pink sphere from the vampire's pocket. Both items began to glow. "See…"

"I wonder where did it came from…" Marceline whispered holding it in front of her face.

"Hey sweetie!" her father shouted holding the Vampire King in his chaotic demon form "Give me a hand will you?"

"Hey! It's the Mister!" Finn said holding crossing his arms behind his head. "You retrieved the Nightosphere amulet, don't you Mr. Marcy's dad?"

"Hunson Abadeer…" the Jailer demon whispered "Alive?"

"As alive as someone like us can be!" Marceline replied "I think that I know how to defeat this guy now!"

The Vampire Queen ran towards her father and held the silver cross in front of the demonic beast. His body began to burn. The Lord of Evil released him and returned to his normal form, this time wearing his usual business suit and his red leather boots.

The weakened Vampire King fell on his knees glaring at them, his eyes were full of hate.

"Hey dad!" Marceline said elbowing Hunson "Let's kick this freak into the Nightosphere depths!"

Her father nodded joyfully and both ran towards the fallen beast, kicking his butt into a new portal opened by the Lord of Evil yelling "Karate Kick!"

The Vampire King was been absorbed by the darkness but he still struggled to escape from it "I'll find a way out of this amulet!" he roared.

"That's what you think!" Marceline said lifting the silver cross "With this cosmic weapon I can seal away any evil!"

"What?" he screeched opening his eyes widely.

The cross began to shine while the Vampire Queen chanted _"__Ego __signa__te __intra __tenebris __ubi __spiritus pertinent__!"_

The Nightophere amulet's portal was closed and the Vampire King disappeared inside it.

"That was...AWESOME!" Finn yelled running towards his vampire friend.

"We made a great team, don't you think so Marceline?" the Lord of Evil said pulling her close to him.

"Yeah...although you keep embarrasing me..." she replied.

"I wish I had a pair of red boots like those!" Jake said bending to see Marceline's feet better.

"Forget it doggy..." she replied passing her arm around her father's shoulder "It's the Abadeer's trademark!

"What? Aww man..." he sighed staring at the redleather boots.

They laughed.

"Hey, how did you know the sealing chant?" Princess Bubblegum asked staring Marceline.

"I-I don't know…the words just came into my mouth!" she took out the cross "This thing is very mysterious…"

"Tell me about it!" the Ice King replied pointing his golden crown.

"What?" Everyone gasped staring at him.

"What what?" the blue old man asked in confusion forgetting what he just said.

"He's just crazy!" Finn said, "We all knew that, didn't we?" he placed his hand on Flame P's shoulder "Glob!" he yelled blowing his burned hand.

"Yeah, that reminds me…" Marceline said walking towards the Flame Princess "Here's your sapphire!" she passed it over the young princess's head "Don't lose it again, okay?"

Flame P smiled gratefully "I won't" she said and stared at Finn "I'll take more care of it now" her face was glowing.

The human boy blushed.

"Well guys, I think it's time for you to leave my territories!" Hunson Abadeer walked around them "I'll open the portal for you!"

Thus the gang leaved the Nightosphere. Having defeated the Vampire King, preventing a universal chaos disaster and retrieving a new cosmic weapon, the heroes-to-be team began walking back to the Marauder's village to heal their tired bodies and to prepare for their next journey.

Three cosmic signals remain on Princess Bubblegum's radar, but we are still far from our story's end so, stay tuned!

* * *

**Author's notes:  
**

Never mind college I failed, which means I'll probably update soon...uh...


	19. Who is Who?

Tale 19: In the amusement park Part I: who is who?

"_Happy birthday…Finn my littleawesomehumanbro__!"_ Jake sang amazingly fast without tangling his tongue.

"_Happy birthday to youuu!"_ the rest of the group ended the song followed by cheerful claps and whistling.

An improvised birthday party, after returning from the anteroom of hell or Nightosphere as Marceline called it, the idea sounded perfect for our tired heroes. Jake remembered Finn's birthday when they were making their way back to the Marauders village and ran to scold the boy for not telling him. Finn simply replied by saying that under the circumstances in which they were, his birthday wasn't something to care about.

Of course Jake insisted in making him a party, after all, fourteen happens only once in a lifetime and Finn deserved more than just a simple congratulation. The yellow bulldog immediately began to organize a surprise birthday party with everyone's help; Flame P had to find a way to keep the boy busy while Marceline and Bubblegum picked up some berries, Billy worked on cleaning and sharpening the Demon blood sword and Jake tried to bake a cake without letting Susan eat the mixture.

It was a good plan in the sense that of course the Flame Princess could keep Finn distracted just by talking to him and that Billy was great on working with weapons but making the vampire and the candy princess work together was a bad idea, and attempting to make a cake in the company of a hyooman was even a worst idea…Let's go back to this morning's past events and I'll show you the true meaning of mess.

/

Jake the dog entered into one of the furry animal-like shacks where the Marauders lived while following the chief. He was whistling the birthday song joyfully not noticing the crouched shadow staring at him with a pair of green eyes.

"Okay so, this is our kitchen!" the chief said stopping his pace without warning. The dog bumped against the sturdy man's back and fell on the floor rubbing his nose.

"Hey watch out, man!" he complained rubbing his nose before sneezing "Aw, perfect, now I won't stop sneezing! ACHOO!"

The blonde man laughed crossing his arms "Don't be such a baby! Uhhh…what is it that you need for your cake thing?"

"Let me see…" Jake replied taking out a small paper "To make a cake it's necessary to have flour, milk, eggs, butter and…sugar! Do you have all of that?"

The mid-aged warrior placed his hand on his chin while thinking "We have sacks full of flour and sugar stored back in the warehouse…" he said pointing the door behind him "But you must get the other ingredients using your farming skills…"

"What? Don't tell me that I'll have to go around this place milking cows and stuff!" Jake complained feeling overwhelmed by his lazy nature.

The marauder's chief scratched his head carelessly "Well if you want to make Finn a cake, yes and I suggest you hurry up cause you'll be leaving tomorrow at first hour in the morning!" He laughed walking outside "See you tonight, then!"

"ACHOO!" The dog covered his nose angrily "And here I thought this would be easy!"

He felt a shiver down his spine warning him that he wasn't alone in the room; someone or something was spying him from within the shadows behind his back. Jake walked slowly towards the kitchen table and grabbed the rolling pin.

"Okay…" he said nervously "I have a weapon and I won't hesitate in using it!" Jake glimpsed the shadow running from one side of the kitchen to the other "C-come here! I'm waiting for you!" he yelled lifting the rolling pin.

The sound of footsteps echoed softly coming towards him from behind, Jake felt his fur frizz as a hand tapped his shoulder forcing him to turn around immediately hitting whatever was touching him.

"Auw yauw auw!" the shadow screamed jumping backwards where the sunlight coming from the window helped him recognize her as Susan.

"Susan! What the? I thought you were a zombie or something like that!" he said dropping the rolling pin and running to her side.

The robust woman was crouched down on the floor rubbing her hurt hand against her cheek while moaning softly. When Jake got closer she leaned backwards in fear.

"No, no Susan…I'm not going to hurt you!" the yellow dog replied trying to grab her injured hand "Let me see…yes it's going to get inflamed but it's nothing that a few ice cubes can't heal!" he said running out from the kitchen.

"Cubso nice cuns?" Susan whispered watching him go.

/

"Fionna's body was about to crash against the wall when suddenly the Vampire King appeared and caught her in his arms. Fionna's eyes grew wide staring into his black pupils."

"You-you came back…for me?" she asked in astonishment.

"Of course!" the pale skinned boy replied, "Fionna I'm stupid, okay? After you leaved I realized how much I need you and…how much you mean to me…"

"What?" the young adventuress was unable to believe the vampire's words after all, it was hard to tell when he was lying or not.

"Fionna, I mean…that if my heart could beat…it would beat just for you…"

"Fionna felt how he leaned closer to her; their lips were almost touching when she unexpectedly pushed him away. The Vampire King blinked in confusion staring at her."

"I'm sorry Marshall" Fionna said "But no matter how tempted to kiss a sexy vampire guy like you I could be…There's an even sexier guy, I would be willing to kiss…The Ice King!"

"Huh? What?" the black haired boy replied in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Cake shouted from Mochro's back "The Ice King is the hottest guy around, even if he is pure ice!"

Fionna turned her head towards Marshall Lee "Maybe if you were as sexy as the Ice King I would've dared to kiss you but look at your skinny arms, they are nothing compared to the Ice King's biceps!"

"And you are missing his magnificent abs!" Cake added while patting his stomach.

"Heheheh The Ice King, hehehe! Is the only hehehe! Man with a god-like figure left in Ooo, Hahahaha!" the Ice King laughed maniacally holding his handmade book "The end! Now it's review time! Tell me what you think about my fanfic guys!"

"Woof!" Cobi the fire wolf replied staring in another direction, obviously not paying attention at all.

"Wenk!" Gunter said giving him another volume of his fan fictions.

The Ice King laughed pleased and then turned to look at Puddle "And what do you think snow golem? Did it fill your expectations?"

"Well…" the snow creature answered nervously "the end is weird…"

"Weird? WEIRD?" the blue old man yelled angrily "How dare you to-!"

"Excuse me Simon…" Jake interrupted pulling his tunic "I need you to lend me your icy powers!"

"W-what?"

"I need some ice cubes man, and hurry up please cuz I don't have time to waste!" the yellow dog replied, "But stop staring at me! Hurry c'mon!"

"Only if you bring me some tea!" the Ice King said crossing his arms.

"Tea? Why tea?"

"Because what's the point of creating ice cubes if it is not for making some iced tea?" he wiped off some sweat from his forehead "It's hot out here, you'll have to move quicker!"

Jake growled impatiently "Iced tea? No way you crazy looney!"

"If you want the ice cubes… Then hurry with my TEA!" "Oh! And bring some lemon too!"

Jake leaved the place grumbling angrily "Lemon, yeah sure I'll squeeze it in your eyes!"

/

"_What if Glob was one of us?" _the Vampire Queen sang quietly while picking wild berries from a bush. She held the purple umbrella that she found in the Mushroom village with one hand and worked with the other.

Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum was on the other side of the field working as well but she was doing it faster because of having both hands free and she was trying to focus on finishing quickly. "Hey Marceline, why don't you try hurrying up a little? We don't have all day, remember?" she asked cleaning the sweat on her forehead.

"_Just a slob like one of us…"_ Marceline replied probably ignoring Bubblegum's suggestion. The vampire was working annoyingly slow, grabbing one berry per minute while singing her song.

"Marceline…are you listening? We have to finish!" the princess complained raising her tone of voice to call the other teenager's attention.

But the Vampire Queen seemed to be more focused in her song than in everything around her. She placed the berry bucket on the ground and pulled her axe from her back "_Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home…" _holding the umbrella's handle between her head and her shoulder, Marceline began to play the red blade instrument "_And yeah, yeah!_" she sang stroking the strings quickly "_Grob is great_…_" _the bass's strings were stroked again _"Yeah, yeah…Gob is good…"_

Bubblegum frowned "Yeah…nice song… Now, will you please-…"

"_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!_" Marceline kept singing while playing her bass eagerly "Solo time!" she shouted before starting to move her fingers eagerly stroking each string skillfully _"Yeah! What if Grod was one of us?"_ she shouted kicking Bubblegum's berry basket into the air.

The berries flew upwards and fell over the princess scattering themselves on the ground. Bubblegum clenched her fists trying to calm her frustration, which was quickly turning into anger "Marceline! Focus on what you're doing!" she yelled.

"What? I've already picked up like twenty…" the vampire replied walking towards her "My my! Bonnie! What have you been doing this whole time, huh? Your basket is empty!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Princess Bubblegum shouted finally losing her patience and jumping over Marceline.

Both girls landed on a berry bush attacking each other "I'm sorry Bonnibel but you are a little too late for that!" the Vampire Queen replied preventing the princess's hands from reaching her neck "Vampire kick!" she yelled pushing her boot against her stomach to send Bubblegum away from her.

She landed over Marceline's berry bucket scattering them around the field as well. Now they had no berries and were too busy fighting each other to realize about it.

/

Jake sat on the kitchen floor placing some ice wrapped in a cloth on Susan's hand. She was a bit startled but managed to calm herself after a few seconds. "See how I'm not hurting you?" Jake said joyfully "This kind of stuff happen because of entering a place without announcing yourself!"

Susan blinked "Jake I heard you say sugar, where is sugar, huh?"

"Oh no! No sugar for you!" he replied frowning "You'll become wild and crazy and it's not for you, it's for Finn's cake!"

"Cake? Is that some kind of candy?" the tall hyooman asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm trying to make one for Finn, today is his birthday!"

"What's birthday?"

Jake sighed impatiently "It's an special day, okay? Today is Finn's special day and we have to make him feel special!"

"Oh! Finn is Susan's friend! Susan helps!" she said standing up eagerly and jumping around making some plates fall and break, unintentionally of course.

"Okay, okay! You can help but calm down before you destroy the whole kitchen!" Jake shouted stretching his body to prevent more things from falling. Susan stopped staring at him with an excited smile. "Very well mermaid, you can start by bringing me the flour and sugar sacks that are inside the warehouse!"

The cat hatted woman left the place and returned in a few seconds holding five sugar sacks on her left hand and five flour sacks on her right one.

"Awesome Sue! Now put them on the floor carefully!" the yellow dog ordered happily.

Susan did as said the only problem was that she let them fall abruptly and the sacks were ripped covering the whole kitchen and it's two improvised chefs in a white but sweet cloud of dust.

"Cough, cough! Susan!" a short white mound with big black round eyes yelled, "Do you know what carefully is?"

"Oh…Susan thought you said rapidly…" A large flour mound with green eyes replied licking its lips "Mmm sweet dust!"

"Glob grant me patience…" the small mound sighed.

/

As if they weren't already too tired and injured to be working, Marceline and Princess Bubblegum kept fighting each other until the vampire decided to float over her.

"You know Bonnie, I'm running out of energy to keep hitting your pink face, even though I'm enjoying it of course!" she chuckled "Let's forget about the berries and help the others!"

"What?" the princess replied trying to stand up.

"I'll go with Froggy and the weapons, meanwhile you can join Flame P and Finn!" the vampire said attempting to fly away.

"W-wait! Marceline!" Bubblegum called nervously "How about switching places?"

Marceline stared at her with a confused look on her face and descended close to the princess "What do you mean switching places?" she asked moving a lock of black hair from her face behind her pointy ear "What do you know about sharpening a weapon?"

"Oh I know a lot!" the candy ruler replied faking confidence.

"You do?" the Vampire Queen replied sarcastically "I think I know what's wrong with you…" she whispered drawing a smirk on her gesture "You don't want to be around Finn because of Flame P isn't that true?"

"Huh? What? Of course not!" Bubblegum gasped in disbelief "I'm fine with them!"

"Then why you don't wanna go with them? I heard they were going to chase wild trolls with the chief on the woods, and I bet that's way more exciting than cleaning and polishing blades…"

The princess stared at her crossing her arms "If you think that way, then why don't you join them?"

"You know what?" Marceline replied spinning her umbrella "I think I'll take your advice but just because chasing trolls is indeed exciting and Flame P and Finn are my buddies!" She looked at the berry bush and shook it to make it drop a bunch of berries into her stretched tank top "I'm taking a lot of these with me, man I'm hungry!"

"Y-you could have done that from the start!" Bubblegum scolded pointing her with a shaky finger.

"Do what?" the vampire said while sucking the red shade from one of the tiny fruits "Oh! I get it! To pick'em up! Nah, my plan to run away from duty wouldn't have worked that way…" she tossed the now grayish berry at the princess's feet "Well, see you later Bonnie!"

"Run away from-? Marceline!" Princess Bubblegum shouted watching her fly into the woods "You lazy piece of- Ugh!"

/

"Next, we need some milk!" Jake said walking by the green field that surrounded what was left the Marauder's Village. He was carrying a pair of empty wooden buckets on his paws.

"Milk?" Susan asked following him "What's milk?"

"Milk is…" the dog sighed, "You've never seen a cow?" The blonde woman shook her head staring at him "Those white animals with black spots are cows and we obtain the milk from them!" Jake explained as simple as he could to make her understand.

"You mean like, when we get meat from small fish?"

"Yeeeaahhh…close enough…" he replied increasing his speed, the sun was getting closer to the western horizon and Finn's party was scheduled for nightfall.

"So we have to kill them!" the hyooman said joyfully.

Jake smiled "Yeah! …Wait… NO!" he slapped his face "Susan you don't have to kill the cow to get the milk, you have to squeeze it from them!"

"Then Susan squeezes the cows!" she replied running towards the sleepy animals.

"No, I didn't mean…Susan come back here!" the yellow dog cried following her as fast a he could. "Fish-head…"

/

The green skinned man's gaze was concerned and stern at the same time watching how Princess Bubblegum struggled to lift a simple axe from the ground. The demon blood sword was resting on his lap as he cleaned its blade carefully.

"Princess…" he pleaded once again.

"Agghh! Hold it, I know I can do it!" Bubblegum replied bending her knees to gain more strength but she still couldn't make it.

Billy rolled his eyes in exhaustion and stood up from his confortable log to aid her. His hand grabbed the weapon's handle and he lifted it without making any effort. She let herself fall onto the grass and stared at him "I could've done it!"

"I'm sorry princess but that was pathetic..." the hero said sitting next to her.

"What?" she complained frowning.

"Ummm, no offense…" Billy replied, "I already told you that you're not physically strong enough to handle any of these weapons and I can see that you don't like it either, right?"

"I should've done what Marceline said…what the cabbage am I doing here?" she asked burying her face on her knees.

"Avoiding someone, perhaps?" the legendary hero answered.

The princess groaned impatiently "Crab…am I that obvious?"

"Not really!" Billy replied staring at the woods "the vampire just passed by signing something about a tree and you sitting on it with Finn…" he scratched his beard and turned to look at her "It was a silly song and now I have it stuck inside my head!"

"I want to strangle that girl, I swear to Glob she'll receive what she deserves!" Bubblegum growled annoyed.

"How can this people be a team if they can't get along peacefully?" the hero wondered trying to forget about Marceline's taunting song.

/

Jake sat holding the ice bag against his hurt face, the poor dog had just received a painful kick on it after confusing a bull with a cow "Aww my beauty hurts…" he moaned.

"It was not Susan's fault this time…" the cat-hatted hyooman defended herself while crouching by his side to pet him.

"Don't worry Sue, I know…" he replied staring at the milk buckets in front of him "At least we got the milk, now we need to pick some eggs from the hen coop and we will be able to bake the birthday cake, hehe!"

Susan laughed happily nodding her head "We go get those eggs!"

…

Inside the henhouse everything was silence, birds were asleep so it could not be a hard task for the two inexperienced farmers. There was a sign on the entrance with the following message: "Do not wake up the chickens! Bad stuff happens!"

After reading it, Jake instructed Susan to stay behind knowing that her size could be a problem when moving inside the small coop. "I'll stretch my arms and grab the eggs silently, you must only focus on holding the basket, okay?" he whispered.

"Okay!" Susan Strong replied quietly.

Jake's noodle like arms entered stealthily, he reached a hen and placed his hand into her nest carefully. "Hehehe, I got some!" he whispered taking three eggs out.

Susan giggled placing them in her basket "Go for more…"

Again his arms entered the coop and began to search for eggs. A gentle breeze was blowing that afternoon and it helped them to refresh themselves but not to hunt eggs. A single feather flew towards Jake and circled around him tickling his nose.

"Oh…uh…" the dog whispered feeling an uncontrollable urge to sneeze "A-a-a-a…"

"No…no...no...no..." Susan mumbled covering her eyes.

"A-a-a-ACHOO!"

"CUCKOOOOOOOOOO!" the hens screamed flying out of the coop crazily to trap the poor farmers in a confusing whirlwind of feathers, scratches and pecks.

"Run, Suzy, run!" Jake shouted trying to escape from the angry chicken horde.

"Susan is running!" she replied punching a chicken that was pulling her cat hat's tail.

"Next year, I'll buy the damn cake in the Candy city's bakery!" the dog groaned followed by the tall woman and a bunch of hens towards the village.

/

"_Bonnibel and Finn sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"_ The Vampire Queen sang joyfully while she flew through the woods._ "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage! Suckin' his thumb, wettin' his pants, doin' the naked baby dance! _Hehe, although I know Finn used to do that!" she laughed remembering when she saw his baby memory.

"Careful there!" Marceline heard a deep voice yelling "TROLL ON THE RUN!"

"What the-?" she gasped watching how a path opened in front of her while a giant green and muscled creature ran punching the trees out of its way.

The giant fanged monster passed right by her side like a flash and some seconds after that another red flash passed by following it. The scent of burned wood and the smoke on the leaves helped her realize that it was the Flame Princess chasing the troll at great speed.

"Catch him, Flame P!" Finn shouted running behind her with the Marauder's chief, both of them were carrying a big net on their hands. "Oh! Hi Marcy, can't talk, see ya!" the boy said rushing in front of her.

Marceline stared at them shocked and shook her head to snap out of it "I'm coming with you guys!"

Meanwhile the troll ran turning back his head at moments to watch the fiery girl following him close from behind. The green creature decided to dodge the trees instead of punching them to make her slow down.

Flame P was very close, she could almost touch him "Just a little…more!" she said clenching her teeth but when she was about to grab his dirty pants, the troll stopped suddenly and crouched just in time to avoid contact with her.

"Whaaa?" she yelled turning her head to see the monster laughing at her while pointing something.

"BAM!" The Flame Princess crashed her face against a giant tree and fell onto the ground leaving her silhouette stamped on its trunk. She could swear she saw stars and birds circling around her head.

"Flame P!" Finn yelled arriving to her side "Are you okay?" he asked helping her stand up.

"Yeah…" she replied covering her face "Too bad fire elementals can't stand the ice, I could use some in this moment…Oowww…"

"Hey you guys!" the chief called arriving as well "That thing is heading towards the village!" he shouted pointing his home anxiously "C'mon let's catch it!"

"What?"

/

Jake and Susan entered the, now white kitchen and placed the ingredients over the table. "Okay…now comes the best part!" Jake said stretching his body to reach a big bowl from a shelve "Let's prepare the mixture!"

"Mixture! Yay!" Susan replied lifting her arms joyfully "Wait, you said we were going to make cake not mixture thing…" the hyooman complained elbowing him.

"The mixture is the cake without baking Susan…" the magical dog sighed using the last of his patience.

"Oh, fine…"

At least from this moment on everything was peaceful for Jake and Susan. He asked her for the ingredients and she gave them to him. Simple teamwork.

"Hand me the flour…"

"Flour…"

"Pass me the milk…"

"Milk…"

"Give me five eggs…"

"Eggs…"

"…Five Susan, you gave me three…"

"Five…five?"

"Yeah, give me two more eggs!"

"But, you said five!"

"Three plus two, equal to five!"

"Huh?"

"Mommy where are you when I need you the most!" Jake cried pressing his face against the table. "Crack!" There was an egg there. "Uhhh…"

"Three minus one equal to two!" Susan said happily.

"Yeah…well done, math genius…"

/

Billy and Princess Bubblegum finished their tasks and walked to the feasting table where the Ice King was reading his fan fiction to torture his innocent victim's ears, well at least it was a torture for the hero and the princess because the marauders seemed to be enjoying it.

"And then under a ray of golden light, the Ice King descended from the heavens to kick the Lich's butt saving Ooo and Fionna's life in the process…All hail the magnificent hero, Ice King!"

"Yay!" the blue sturdy men yelled lifting their mugs and drinking from them.

"Glob…this guys are so small minded…" Bubblegum whispered staring at them.

"WATCH OUT EVERYONE!" the chief yelled coming out of the bushes, all covered in sweat and mud "Here comes the troll!"

The giant humanoid monster emerged from the woods roaring and jumping wildly, destroying everything on its way. The marauders including Billy, Bubblegum and the Ice King rolled in the ground away from the crazy beast.

"Yeeehaaaa!" Marceline yelled riding its back in a cowboy style. "I'm not letting you go!"

The troll kept jumping and smashing things randomly to shake the vampire off from himself but it was useless, her grip on his neck was very tight.

"Give up fool, I've tamed worst creatures than you before!" the Vampire Queen shouted proudly "You're just wasting my time!"

Finn and Flame P jumped into the action too, throwing the net over the monster. "Gotcha!" the human boy said trying to pull the beast down.

"Everyone quick! Grab a piece of rope!" the Flame Princess ordered "We are bringing him down!"

The blue men (yep, that includes the Ice King), the two princesses and the two heroes did as said and used their strength to bring the beast to its knees. Normally such action would have been impossible because the trolls have almost limitless strength but since Marceline forced him to struggle with her, his energy level dropped significantly making it possible for the gang to beat him in less than ten minutes.

The green beast fell crushing the large wooden table where they were sitting, hitting its ugly face against the ground. Finn let go of the net and ran towards Marceline throwing a rope into the air. She caught it and flew around the monster tying him up to immobilize its body.

Placing her boot over the troll's head and her fist on her hip the Vampire Queen grinned triumphantly making the victory sign with her right hand "Am I good or what?"

"Woohooo!" the marauder's yelled excitingly throwing their helmets upwards "Cheers for that!"

"You know guys? We should do this everyday!"

"Heck yeah, Marceline!" Finn shouted jumping high "Uh…Marcy…" he said suddenly changing his expression of joy into one of concern.

"What is it weenie? She replied staring at him.

"You are in flames!" he yelled waving his arms.

"Finn what the-?" the vampire noticed the smoke coming from her shoulder and lifted her gaze upwards "Holy crap THE SUN!"

Everyone laughed watching how she quickly turned into a small bat and hid under Flame P's skirt. Her small furry head popped out hissing angrily at them.

/

A chair flew out the kitchen's window breaking its glass and Jake jumped out of it embracing the mixture bowl tightly "Some one save me!" he screamed stretching up to perch on a tall tree.

Susan Strong followed him running on her hands and knees while yelling, "Candy!"

"Bad Susan, bad!" the magical dog scolded her from his branch out of her reach "Why in the world did I think that giving you the spoon to try the flavor was a good idea, huh? I'm so dumb!"

"Cake give me! Candy sweet!" the hyooman growled jumping as high as she could.

"Okay, you can have a piece after we bake it!" Jake cried but that didn't convince her. "You are a naughty fish-head!"

/

"Does anyone else is listening to that girlish screaming or its just me?" the Ice King asked sitting with the rest of the gang over some animal pelts that were placed on the grass to replace the broken table.

"No, I can hear it too!" Princess Bubblegum replied alarmed.

"…Bad Susan! Oh! Glob she's climbing! ..." Jake's voice echoed in the distance.

Billy stood up with a tired look on his face "I'll go see what's going on…"

"Me too!" Finn said attempting to stand up as well.

"No, you're not!" the Flame Princess replied pulling him down "You…umm, you must help us clean this mess!"

"Awww man…" the human boy sighed lowering his head.

/

While going down into the western skies the sun's glow painted the small village with warm colors. A few stars sparkled over the yellowish lake and the birds began to retreat back into the woods.

"Close your eyes Finn!" Marceline said wrapping an orange cloth that Jake gave her around his face. "Can you see something?"

"Nope, just darkness…Can you tell me, why are you doing this again?" the boy asked lifting the blindfold slightly from one of his eyes.

The vampire immediately slapped his hand "No peeking!" she scolded him "Jake…uh…wants to try your umm other four senses…uh, yeah that's it! It's heroic junk and stuff…" Marceline said making a disparaging gesture with her hand.

"Mathematical!" Finn replied waking blindly only guided by his friend's pale hand over his shoulder "Maybe he prepared an obstacle curse for ninja training and he's waiting in the shadows to attack me!"

The Vampire Queen took him where his friends were waiting for him, sitting over the animal pelts around the big cake that Jake was finally able to bake.

Finn stood still turning his head into every direction "Why is so silent in here?" he wondered.

"Finn WATCH OUT!" his brother yelled startling him to death.

"What? The Lich! A zombie horde! Everyone died!" the boy shouted frightened not knowing what was happening around him.

Jake laughed untying the orange blindfold "It's a SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY!"

Finn sighed in relief falling on his knees "Man! You almost made me vomit my beating heart! Hehe, good one bro!"

"Nah…it's not like last year's birthday prank but I'm glad you liked it!" his furry brother replied patting his back "C'mon! Let's party!"

/

And that's how these guys spent their last free day on the Marauder's village; it was quite a messy morning, wasn't it?

Susan was happily stuffing herself with cake as well as the blue men around her; Bubblegum was sitting (Much to her dismay) next to the marauder's chief and yes, she was being spilled with cake crumbles. Wanting to change places with someone else, she elbowed the blonde man gently "You know, Flame P is also a princess…" she whispered.

"Really?" he replied excited "How cool, two princesses are sitting at my table! Or well, I don't have a table anymore but you get the idea!"

"And…don't you want her to seat next to you?" the candy princess asked trying to tempt him.

"That would be nice but she has to sit next to her man, right Finn?" the marauder chief laughed while Bubblegum covered her frowned face from the crumble rain.

"What?" the human boy asked after swallowing a piece of cake "What's right?"

"Hahaha! So you're growing up, huh? How old are you?" One of the marauders asked.

"Fourteen…" Finn answered asking his brother for another piece.

"Fourteen?" the chief said in disbelief "Glob you have indeed turned into a man, haha!" He lifted his cup into the air let's have a toast! For Finn, the brave human man!"

"Cheers!" everyone said hitting cups with each other.

Jake smiled after drinking from his mug "Tell us, what was your birthday wish?"

"Don't tell him, if you do it won't come true!" Princess Bubblegum replied.

"Nonsense! That's a just a stupid saying!" Marceline said "C'mon tell us!"

"Well…Nah! It's stupid!" Finn said trying to avoid their attention.

"Awww Finn, come on!" the Flame Princess begged pushing his arm, "Tell us please!"

"Yeah man, pleeaaseeee!" Jake insisted making big puppy eyes.

His brother sighed, "Okay… I wished for…"

/

Princess Bubblegum sighed dropping her tired body on her bed. Her injuries hurt because of the sudden contact with the mattress making her moan quietly. She was wearing the rocker shirt that Marceline gave her which meant that she was ready to sleep. Everyone had blown off the candles and lanterns; the only light illuminating the room was the moon's glow passing through the window.

Bubblegum turned her head slowly at the other bed beside her, even if she was a vampire and she was supposed to be active at that hour Marceline was sleeping deeply, her whole body covered the mattress and her long black hair reached the floor. Maybe she was exhausted, the princess thought, after all they hadn't had it easy; yesterday she endured a fight with the Vampire King and they just managed to defeat him that morning. Then they passed the whole afternoon preparing Finn's party and she rode a wild troll to weaken him. It was impressive to see that she had enough energy to enjoy the rest of the day and tease her as she usually did.

The Flame Princess was sleeping next to her leaning her head on the vampire's body, Bubblegum smiled thinking how Marceline acted like Flame P's older sister not really wanting to. It reminded her of how the Vampire Queen used to treat her when she was a child. She chuckled knowing that if she ever mentioned that, Marceline would start complaining angrily and even smack her, probably.

She saw Susan sleeping on the floor comfortably, nothing seemed to bother that strange girl; she was a little wild and uneducated but she was very kind and softhearted. Bubblegum wondered if she'd ever get to know who Susan was, a hyooman or a human? Only time would tell.

The princess felt a little guilty about sleeping on warm bed all by herself while Susan slept on the floor but she knew it was all Marceline's fault. When the girls entered the room Bubblegum analyzed the beds and told them that since Susan was larger and Flame P was smaller, both would fit perfectly on the same bed but that meant that Marceline and her would have to sleep together and the vampire obviously refused to. Bubblegum sighed impatiently knowing that if it weren't for the vampire's childish attitude; the four of them would have been sleeping comfortably; anyway, it was useless to think about that right now.

"Focus on sleeping Bubblegum…" she whispered to herself placing her head on the soft pillow "You don't know if you'll ever have the chance to sleep on a bed again, tomorrow we'll leave to the labyrinth…again…"

/

"Jake…the Ice King is staring at me weird!" Finn complained lying on his bed.

"Don't worry…" the dog replied getting inside the blankets next to his brother "He sleeps with the eyes open…"

"Glob, that's creepy…" the boy said covering his face with a pillow "More than when he was spying us in that horse disguise…"

Billy yawned sitting on the floor crossing his arms "I'll blow off the light, now." He said.

"Billy why are you not sleeping on the bed?" Finn asked curiously.

"I never sleep…" the hero replied, "All I need is to meditate."

"Coooool…" the two brothers whispered staring at each other "Some day I want to be a hardcore hero like you, Billy!" the human boy said enthusiastically.

The old hero smiled "Maybe you do have what it takes to become one Finn, and the day when that happens, I'll be honored to be there fighting by your side."

"EEEEEK! Finn did you hear that?" Jake yelled excited "Billy just complimented you!" there was no response "Finn?"

"Let him be, he just fell asleep…" Billy said, "It's been a crazy day, huh?"

"Yeah…I was attacked by a bunch of crazy chickens, a cow and an insane hyooman…" Jake replied "But it was worth it as long as my little brother is happy…"

"It must be nice to have a brother, a friend…"

/

After a great breakfast, having rested their bodies and packed some adventuring stuff like a few apples, water and bandages, the heroes-to-be leaved the Marauder's Village behind. Of course, they preferred that Puddle and Cobi stayed there with the blue vikings where they'd be safer. The sun rose on the east warming the eight marching silhouettes as they advanced towards the Lich's labyrinth.

As usual, Princess Bubblegum took out her self-made tracking device and stared at its screen carefully. "We are going in the right direction, let's keep moving!" she ordered walking on the lead.

The group crossed what was left of the Marauder's grassy fields in three hours and entered the dry grounds of the Fire Kingdom's borderline where the labyrinth's entrance was. Once inside it Bubblegum looked at her radar again.

"The closest cosmic weapon is-…" she was about to continue speaking when a tiny chubby goblin jumped on her shoe and asked her to kneel down.

He was wearing a pair of dark purple pointy shoes, a tunic of the same color but with a bit lighter tone, and a large red ripped bow on his neck that could almost cover his entire body. His long pointy ears were lifted upwards like a pair of antennas and he had very short arms.

"Excuse me miss…" he said once she bended down to look at him with his shrilly voice "How many of those devices exist?" the tiny goblin asked pointing her radar.

"O-only one, I created it so you won't find another one out there." The princess replied with a little of surprise "Why are you asking?"

"Oh, because I'm about to take it away from you!" the globin answered jumping on her hand to make her drop the radar. When it fell, he lifted it over his tiny head and then took some magic dust out of his pocket "Goblin dissapiridicus!" the small green creature yelled disappearing in a cloud of blue smoke.

Princess Bubblegum fell backwards scratching her eyes and then turned to stare at her friends with a shocked expression on her face "That little cutie…just stole the cosmic radar!"

"WHAAAAAAAT?" the whole gang yelled in astonishment.

"Bonnibel, what the hell is wrong with you?" Marceline shouted leaning over her "How could you let that happen?"

"How could I- Are you saying this is my fault?" Bubblegum replied shouting as well.

"Do you see anyone around here dumb enough to obey a strange goblin that came out of nowhere, inside-the **Lich's**-labyrinth? A GOBLIN! Bonnibel!" the vampire shouted back angrily.

"Well I, I!" she tried to reply but she couldn't find a valid argument, Marceline was right, that little guy fooled her right under her nose.

"Girls, girls!" Finn said jumping between to separate them "Let's focus on finding that guy!"

"Yeah, uh…now that I think about it, I feel like if I have seen that goblin somewhere before…" Jake replied walking towards them "I know his scent, follow me!"

The gang ran behind him as fast they could, on the way they realized that once again, they were leaving the labyrinth but without the radar they would eventually get lost inside of it, so there was no other option.

Once back in the grassy field the skies over them turned darker, more than they usually did when it's about to rain. Marceline stopped her pace to close her umbrella and looked upwards in concern "Those clouds aren't normal!" she warned her friends "The air smells like steel…"

"Steel? What do you mean by-…" the Ice King was interrupted by a flying knife that fell from the sky cutting a white lock from his beard "Waaah! Someone is attacking us!" he screamed jumping into Billy's arms.

"Don't be fool!" the legendary hero said tossing him back to the ground "We have to find a shelter and quick! We're in the middle of a knife storm!"

"Wow…" Finn replied, "I totally love knife- ugh!" his words were cut by Marceline, who pulled him away with the rest of the gang.

"C'mon Finn, you won't be of use if you are dead!" she yelled holding his arm as they flew avoiding the knives.

Thank Glob they managed to find an old shack in the middle of the woods. The gang entered and locked the door, just in case.

Inside the place was a mess; the only two chairs they could found were broken, the couch's springs jumped out from it when Jake sat, and it was full of useless junk and stuff but still, they were grateful to have found a shelter.

"This place stinks!" Jake complained staring out side from a window "Who knows how long we'll have to wait to get out from this dump!"

"Patience doggy," Marceline whispered taking out a card deck from her pocket "Poker, anyone? She asked while shuffling her cards.

"Yeah, I'm in!" the magical dog replied joyfully. He used to play a lot of that with his old comrades at the Candy Tavern and he was quite good at it.

"Me too!" Billy said. "And me, if you show me how to play!" Finn added.

/

Two hours passed since the knife storm began but it didn't seem to have diminished. Not even a little.

The players were sitting on the floor focused on their cards; they placed thirty bucks, one of Billy's bracelets, a green shape-shifting bug from Marceline's pocket and a few golden coins on the center as part of the bet.

"Umm…do you have any…nines?" Finn asked staring at Billy.

"Here you go!" the hero replied giving him the card.

"Are you ready guys?" Jake whispered with a confident tone. The four players nodded with a grin while their friends watched the game closely.

"I'll go first!" Billy said placing his hand on the floor "Two pair o pocket!"

"Whoa…" Princess Bubblegum gasped.

Marceline stared at her poker hand with a smirk "Your turn Jake…"

He chuckled confidently "I'm taking you down Billy, behold ma' Flush! Hehe!"

"Straight flush!" Finn yelled happily erasing his brother's smile "I guess I win!" he said attempting to grab the prize.

"Hold on, weenie I'm still on the game!" Marceline intervened.

"W-what? You're kidding, right?" the princess replied in astonishment nothing can beat a Straight flush unless you have a-!"

"True to myself…" the vampire said proudly showing her cards "Black as the night, a Royal flush!"

"Mathematical…" Finn whispered watching her retrieve her prize "Teach me how to play like you! I'll be your disciple!"

"Finn!" Jake groaned, "I have always wanted to teach how to play poker and you never let me!"

"That's because I didn't know how awesome it could-…" Someone knocked the door desperately.

"Is somebody out there?" the Flame Princess asked standing up.

"I'll go check it out!" the Vampire Queen replied heading to the door. She opened it slightly and peeked out.

"Ma-…Mar-mar! Thank Glob, I thought that-!" A grey skinned punk with white long hair said happily trying to enter but she slammed the door on his face.

"Well, who was it?" the Ice King asked with curiosity.

"No one…" Marceline said carelessly. The young man began to knock the door again.

"Mar-mar please! There's a knife storm out here, you know? Auch!" he yelled from outside.

"Good luck!" the vampire yelled back with a wicked grin.

"Come on! You can't be cold blooded enough to let me die like this!"

The gang stared at her with concern while she rolled her eyes and peeked through the slightly open door again. "How can you be so sure?" she whispered.

"Agh! Please let me in!" he cried "Forgive me, I'm sorry Mar-mar!"

She began to close the door again "See you in hell Ash!"

"Ash?" Finn and Jake gasped staring at each other.

"NO! Please open the door! I-I know a way to take you and your friends out of here!" She closed the door "O-okay!" he pleaded dodging the knives "I'll give you whatever you want!"

After a few seconds of silence the door was opened and Marceline showed up her face "Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yeah! Whatever! just let me in!" Ash yelled leaning over her but she pushed him away.

"If you want to save your pathetic live you'll have to give me two million dollars and! I want my Hambo back!"

"WHAT?" he screamed not believing her words.

"That's okay, go straight to the Nightosphere then…" the Vampire Queen sentenced closing the door.

Ash clenched his fists tightly "Okay, I accept!" he shouted unsure of how he was going to get that large amount of money and her old bear back from that witch.

Marceline's hand grabbed his shirt and pulled him inside abruptly. He bounced on the floor and crashed with the wall. "It's him!" Finn and Jake shouted watching the teenager struggling to stand up.

"You know him?" Princess Bubblegum asked confused.

"Huh? Who the heck is this guy?" Flame P wondered staring at Marceline.

"Just a miserable jerk, don't get close to him Flame P…" the Vampire Queen replied harshly.

"That wasn't the welcome I was expecting…" Ash groaned staring at the whole gang "Agh, you've got to be kidding me! This is full of mortals!"

"This mortals are my friends!" the vampire said angrily.

"Yeah! If you don't like it, you can leave and die under the knife rain!" Jake shouted teasing him.

"How did you get here?" Bubblegum asked crossing her arms "You don't have a single scratch on you!"

Ash chuckled "Well maybe that's because I'm a wizard, genius!"

"This guy is not nice, right?" Susan whispered leaning close to Finn.

"Nope, he's a big piece of math! Hey Ash!" the young hero called "If you want to stay here you'd better watch your behavior!"

"I don't take orders from runts like you!" he replied.

"Ash!" Marceline said "You said that you knew a way to take us out of here, tell me, what do you have in mind?"

"Well…I have a car, but I left it a little too far from here…Getting it back won't be easy!" he complained.

"I don't care, go get it!" His ex-girlfriend ordered coldly.

"Mar-mar look-"

"Go get the damn thing before I splash your blood all over the wall!" she yelled losing her patience "And stop calling me like that!"

/

Somehow, Ash managed to retrieve his car obviously getting hurt in the process, but it didn't matter as long as he could keep himself alive. With the help of Jake's nose and after a long awkward car trip under the storm, they found the place where that tiny thieve had ran away.

Princess Bubblegum couldn't help wondering why in the world would a goblin want her cosmic radar. It just didn't make sense.

"Here?" the punk wizard asked stopping the car.

"Yeah, I'm totally sure!" the magical dog replied opening the car's door and pushing his seat forward to let his friends out of their cramped seats. The knife storm had already disappeared by now but the skies were darkened because of nightfall.

"W-what is this place?" the Flame Princess wondered staring at the giant metal structures rising in front of her.

"This is an ancient theme park created by the humans before the mushroom war…" Marceline answered, "We'll have to move carefully inside, this place is anything but safe!"

The gang nodded and advanced forward.

"Whoa…this place is gloomy!" Finn said observing the wrecked and rusty machinery that surrounded them.

"This park used to be called "Monster Coaster" Bubblegum replied reading the information sign at the entrance. "Humans build a monstrous roller coaster, which ran through out the whole park at an amazing speed, it had the most crazy and unexpected loops, barrel rolls, corkscrews, Zero-G Rolls and beyond 90° drops all in the same tracks, hence the name…" she continued reading "It was the most intense attraction in the world, several amounts of people were known to have lost their lives for heart attacks, respiratory arrest and having their lungs crushed by the high pressure while ridding it causing its owners to close the park…"

"What the fudge was wrong with that people?" Jake replied, "What's the point of building a gigantic torture machine like this one?"

"Crab…" Finn gulped "I hope that we don't have to get on that thing.

"Don't worry, this place needs an energy source like electricity to work, besides I don't think that the structure can resist another ride just look at it, it's falling apart!" the princess said pushing him forward.

"Stay close to me Gunter, I don't want you to get lost!" the Ice King ordered grabbing his penguin's flipper.

"Wenk!"

"Hehehehe…" a distant laughed echoed cutting the silence.

"Wenk?" Gunter exclaimed freaking out.

Billy unsheathed his sword "This can't mean something good…"

"Something is coming…" Marceline said sharpening her hearing senses.

"Y-yeah…" Jake replied nervously "And it's fast!"

"Try staying close guys!" Finn suggested preparing his polished red blade for the expected battle "Whatever it is, it won't beat us if we stick together!"

They heard metallic sounds getting close to them but they couldn't distinguish anything, the place was pitch-dark. Jake felt his knees shaking; things are always scarier when they are unknown to you because your imagination always tends to trick your mind with the worst ideas or monsters it could create to torture you.

"Ash, do you have any idea of wha-…" He wasn't anywhere around. Marceline clenched her fangs angrily "That coward is gone!"

"I knew that guy was up to something!" Princess Bubblegum replied feeling frustrated "I think he found a way to fool us and bring us here!"

"You are right!" Jake said stretching around her "The globin that stole the radar, I knew I had seen it somewhere! He was his neighbor!"

"Damn it, then that means that we fell into his trap!" Marceline groaned furiously taking her axe-bass from her back "That son of a-

"Careful!" the magical dog shouted making his body grow larger to push the whole gang away before one of the Ferris wheel's gondolas could crush them.

"Look!" the Flame Princess warned after spitting dust "There's a strange guy over there!" she pointed the top of one of the roller coaster's drops.

A strange man was indeed standing above them while he laughed maniacally. He jumped into the air and landed right in front of them revealing his clumsy appearance.

"Gah! It's a freaking clown!" Finn yelled jumping back "I hate clowns!" he growled "Especially nurse clowns!"

The clown was like, well like a clown…chubby, with a crazy and colorful wig, white face, red lips and nose, and big shoes. Of course, it was impossible for the gang to take such foe seriously. It wasn't even a fight.

The colorful weirdo just jumped around pranking and teasing them while they tried to knock him down. He had a horribly shrilly laughter that Jake could swear, was making his dog-ears bleed.

"I don't get why are dealing with this freak!" Princess Bubblegum complained crossing her arms "Can't we just ignore him and continue with our mission?"

"Arggh!" the Vampire Queen yelled thrusting her blade through a plastic pipe in a failed attempt to kill the clown "Tell me how to ignore him and I'll give you my Avenged Sevenfold CD collection for free!"

"Hehehe!" the clown laughed landing over Jake's back and pulling his ears to force him to stand on his four paws "And now ladies and gentleman, a horse ride show!" he said kicking the poor dog's sides with his feet.

Jake snarled angrily stretching his body into a bigger size and charged against the first wall he saw trying to crush the freak on his back. The clown jumped away before hitting the wall and Finn took advantage of his brief unbalance to kick him against it. He stamped his face on the wall leaving his butt wide open, something Flame P used to burn him mercilessly.

"HOT! Hot hot hot!" the colorful creep screamed running in circles while rubbing his smoky butt, meanwhile the gang was rolling on the floor laughing to tears.

The clown threw himself into a fountain to sooth his pain and then jumped out of it with a disturbing frown on his face "You've made me mad now!" he yelled.

"Hahaha! And what are you going to do, huh?" the Ice King taunted him "Tell us a joke?"

"A joke?" the clown replied staring a them with a smirk "I see you like to laugh, so I'll give something to laugh about!"

And by shouting this he extended his arms and fired a colorful beam on them. The soon-to-be heroes screamed in pain after been hit by it and then everything turned black as they collapsed onto the cold ground.

/

"W-what? What happened?" Finn wondered opening his eyelids weakly. His head ached terribly and when he tried to lift his body he felt it heavier than usual. He stood up rubbing his head and noticed something weird "A cat tail?" he whispered, "Am I wearing Susan's hat?"

"Oww ouch…" Finn heard Princess Bubblegum waking up.

"Peebles, are you alright?" he asked running towards her.

"Peebles?" she replied in confusion with a strange voice "Man, I feel like if I had missed something…and it was important!" the princess stood up almost falling over her face "Grod what's up with this extra weight on my chest?" she complained staring at her body "Wait a sec…I'm wearing a PINK HOODIE!"

"AAAAAAA!" both turned to see Billy screaming like an upset teenager "I feel something weird between my legs!" he yelled sitting down immediately.

Finn stared at him astonished; he never thought he'd ever see the legendary hero acting like THAT. "Bi-Billy…are you okay?"

"Billy?" he replied with a high-pitched voice, "I'M BUBBLEGUM!" the green man screamed.

"WHAT?" Finn looked at his feet and found out that he just wasn't taller but he was also wearing a dark grey animal pelt as clothing "I-I'm on Susan's body!"

"Damn it! I swear I'll rip off that clown's throat and quench my eternal blood thirst with him!" Jake growled waking up angrily "What are you staring at, huh?" he shouted looking at Susan.

"Jake?" Finn asked pointing the yellow dog in front of him.

"Yeah?" his brother's voice replied behind him. Finn quickly turned around and saw Marceline scratching her head.

"Hey mermaid, I thought I heard my bro's voice close to you…" the Vampire Queen replied smiling calmly.

"What the?" Jake shouted walking towards Marceline.

"How can I be staring at myself?" the two of them said at the same time.

"That's because…" the Ice King said speaking with a sincere tone for the first time in his life "Our souls have been switched from our bodies…" he keeled down and picked up Nothung "I'm the real Billy!"

"Susan is now made of fire!" the Flame Princess gasped arriving to her friend's side.

"This can't be truth…" Finn's body said arriving as well "Susan, you are inside my body…"

"Oh no!" Marceline said holding her head "I don't wanna be a vampire, I wanna be an awesome magical dog! Vampires freak me out!"

"So…now I am a man?" Billy wondered shivering "You don't have any idea of how uncomfortable I'm feeling in this moment…"

"Why are you complaining?" Jake growled frowning "At least you are not an animal!"

"Glob…I'm starting to feel stupid…" Finn said "Oh! No offense wherever you are Finn!"

"It's okay…" Susan replied sitting on the ground.

"Hehehe!" Princess Bubblegum laughed crazily "Look Gunter, I'm a woman!" she said moving her hips from side to another.

"Don't play with my body!" Billy scolded her hitting the ground with his fist. "Oh…I think I broke my nail…" the tall man replied waving his hand in a girly manner.

"Darn it Bonnibel! You are making Froggy look gay!" Jake laughed.

"Yeah, you're ruining my reputation Princess!" the Ice King yelled crossing his arms.

The Vampire Queen stared at herself for a moment "The only good thing about this, is that now I have a pair of nice boobs…I MEAN BOOTS! I wanted to say boots, M-Marceline…don't look at me like th-!" She punched her face stretching his fist.

"Susan is the lucky one for remaining on a female body…" Billy said embracing his knees "I don't wanna walk feeling this down there…"

"We should try to calm down!" Finn said staring at them "Let's see if I can get this straight…

* Ahem! Readers pay attention to avoid more possible confusions*

"I'm Flame P and I'm inside Finn's body. Finn is in Susan's body. Susan is inside me. The Ice king is Princess Bubblegum and Bubblegum is now Billy. Billy is inside the Ice King and Marceline switched her body with Jake… Is that clear?" Finn asked blinking his eyes.

"No, but we'll find a way to deal with it…" the Ice King replied.

"Yeah! I need to get my body back!" Billy complained, "This is quite disturbing!"

/

Right this can be a little disturbing for certain characters but I know they'll overcome whatever traumas this curse can bring with it. Wanna know if they get their own bodies back? or if they'll find the cosmic radar? Do you want to find out what mysteries rest within this ancient theme park and why did Ash got them into this mess?

Well, you'll have to wait for the second part of this tale! Until then, see you later guys!

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

An update, finally! I hope you didn't find the last part confusing.

As usual any comment, complaint or suggestion you may have, feel free to review. Thanks for reading!


	20. Chills n' Thrills!

Tale 20: In the amusement park Part II: Chills n' thrills!

A lumpy figure flushed the toilet, washed her hands carelessly and went into her light blue kitchen. She floated and opened the larder to grab a bowl that she later filled with nachos. "Beep! Beep!" the microwave sounded once it's job was done. The triangular shaped tortillas were soon covered with a hot thick melted cheese sauce; the smell made her smile and she left the kitchen humming joyfully.

Outside, her house was surrounded by a bunch of sleeping bags and tents. Some small campfires lighted her way towards her seat as the rest of the civilians slept peacefully.

"What did I miss?" she asked while munching her nachos and spitting some cheese.

"Umm, miss L.S.P…" Tree Trunks said a bit unsure "You missed the whole first part of this chapter…"

"What? You must be kidding me!" the Lumpy Space Princess shouted throwing her nachos into the air. The minotaur sitting next to her jumped and caught it falling over his face but lifting a thumb up indicating that he and the nachos were okay. "Holy lumps! You gotta tell me what happened in this instant!" the purple cloud ordered ignoring the whole nacho incident.

"Everything?" Flambo asked rubbing his forehead "But you missed a lot!"

"Make a lumpy summary then!" L.S.P replied impatiently.

"Well, uh…basically," Mr. Pig began "They celebrated Finn's birthday and returned to the labyrinth but a tiny goblin stole Princess Bubblegum's radar and a knife storm fell over them."

"Knife storm?"

"Yeah, but don't worry!" Key-per continued with the story "They found shelter inside an old shack, where the vampire's ex-boyfriend appeared asking for help! Then that punk took them to an abandoned theme park, the goblin with the radar was supposed to be there! But it doesn't end there, no! An evil clown surprised the gang; you know the ones that roam scary amusement places seeking for innocent victims to torment, and he – and he – and he…"

Mannish man sighed, "Not the broken record again…" he said hitting the small yellow old man on the back.

Key-per shook his head and continued like if nothing had happened "and he switched everyone's body! It's a mess I'm telling you!" he waved his arms over the princess's face "On top of that, that punk guy left them and you know why?"

"Because…" L.S.P tried to guess, "He needed to pee?"

"Wrong!" Key-per shouted, "He left because he was the one behind this whole disaster! He sent the goblin for the radar and then fooled them to get them into a trap!"

"Oh my freaking GLOB! What's going to happen to them now?" the Lumpy Space Princess replied biting her nails.

"Well, if you guys shut your mouths and watch the screen we might get a clue!" Mr. Cupcake scolded them from the other side of the lumpy field.

L.S.P crossed her arms and complained quietly focusing her attention on her confused heroic friends.

/

"Enough! I want my body back!" Marceline shouted clenching her yellow fists "Jake, track that freak's scent!"

The long black haired girl stared at her with a confused look on her face "But…you are the dog now…"

"Then follow me, darn it!" she replied running on her four paws.

Bubblegum snatched a pamphlet with the park's logo from the entrance and opened it; she studied their surroundings and then looked into the paper searching for a map. Her green finger drew and invisible line across the multicolored picture that showed various numbered paths and mechanical games scattered over it.

"D-don't tell me…" she whispered lifting her gaze as she ran behind the group.

"What?" A boy she knew that wasn't Finn but Flame Princess asked turning his head to stare at her. The candy ruler gulped showing her the pamphlet "Monster Coaster, where nightmares come true…" Flame P said while reading the park's slogan.

"No, not that!" the tall man replied rolling his eyes "Look, this is where we are heading to!" she pointed an image with a group of humans wearing Hawaiian T-shirts and sun glasses screaming in terror while escaping from an old house.

"The horrific wonders of creepiness, only at the Black widow's haunted mansion…" the girl read and then tilted her head in confusion "Haunted mansion?"

"Yeah! Can you believe it?" the princess complained in frustration "As if this place wasn't horrible enough! Why couldn't that creep choose the merry-go-round or something like that to hide?"

"Maybe somebody out there doesn't like us…" Finn replied blowing Susan's bangs from his face.

After fourteen minutes of running through the theme park kicking away "You must be this tall" signs and garbage containers filled with stiff popcorn covered with sour butter and cockroaches, they finally managed to reach what seemed to be a graveyard. In the distance on top of a lonely hill surrounded by dead trees and tombstones, an antique building rose before them. The full moon's glow behind it darkened its ominous silhouette.

The gang crossed the rusty iron gates pushing them softly and walked forward in silence until the doors where closed abruptly with a loud "clang" sound, I don't need to mention that most of our heroes almost suffered a heart attack after that.

The vampire smiled nervously placing her hand on her sweaty forehead "I-it was…j-just…the w-wind hehe…" she whispered with Jake's usual husky voice.

"Y-yeah…the wind…" Finn replied trying to calm himself while following his friends.

Gunter waddled behind Princess Bubblegum's body observing the place with curiosity but not really paying attention to where he was going "Wenk!" he moaned bumping into one of the tombstones and fell rubbing his beak.

"You okay?" Susan asked lighting the inscription on the gravestone with her fiery body. This writing called Bubblegum's attention making her bend down to read it carefully.

"_Here lies Lady Leotte, master of all that is forbidden and called from beyond._

_The cause of her death remains unknown, her body was found decapitated in the ballroom's floor..._

_We searched in the halls and under the rugs; we even went far from the main gallery's door_

_But we never found her head, not even near the garden's pond…"_

"Hmm…" a low sigh escaped from the hero's mouth expressing the princess's curiosity "I hope our heads stay where they belong…"

"Yeah…" Jake replied making the Vampire Queen look like a scared baby bunny "Over our shoulders…" he was slapped by his own paw on the back "Auch! That hurt!"

"Then try not being a coward, you're humiliating me!" the yellow bulldog frowned while turning his face away "Don't you see this is all fake? We are inside a stupid attraction, remember?"

"But…" this Ice King said playing with his knew bubblegum hair "that was more than a thousand years ago…lot's of things could have happened here since then…"

"You mean that maybe…this is a real graveyard and that's a real haunted house?" Jake asked nervously.

"Well I don't know!" he replied lifting his arms "I haven't lived that long!"

"Wenk!"

"You'd better keep that beak shut!" the princess yelled pointing the penguin with her pink finger angrily in a sudden movement "Why isn't your face frozen?"

Billy shook his blue head in resignation before continuing walking forward.

To enter the mansion's porch the gang had to climb a few wooden stairs that squeaked each time one of them stepped on. Two white columns covered with dry vines were supporting the roof and a pair of closed wide black doors blocked their way in. Marceline had to admit it, the old manor's Victorian style gave it an air of mystery and creepiness that her own adventurer spirit couldn't resist to explore.

Finn approached towards the doorbell, which resembled a roaring gargoyle crafted in pure gold and rang it just for fun. The first notes of "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" echoed within the walls followed by the crow's screeches leaving the trees around them. "Whoa! Ominous…" the cat hatted boy cried in amazement.

"Yeah…Johan Sebastian Bach guys, I don't who this people were but they had style man!" his brother replied inside the vampire's body.

"You know what?" Marceline said placing a paw on her chin "I've decided this will be my new home!"

"No one will ever visit you, I can assure you that…" Bubblegum replied raising an eyebrow.

The bulldog sighed in fascination "Yeah…wouldn't it be like a dream?" she stepped forward pushing the hero aside "Let's look inside!"

"Maybe we'll find that Leo-whatever Lady's head!" Finn said rushing to open the door but before he could touch the golden handles it opened by itself making him fall over his now "hyooman" face.

"I don't think that we can blame the wind this time…" Flame P said helping him up. The whole gang nodded in fear.

/

"Oh my Glob no!" the Lumpy Space Princess cried sinking her hand in her nacho bowl "Don't enter in there!" she turned her head at Key-per "Why the lump in every horror movie the characters do what they are not supposed to do? Can't they see the signs? The freaking door just opened by itself, everyone knows that's a bad omen!" she yelled with her mouth full of cheese.

"You are right!" the old yellow man replied waving his arms "and they never listen to our warnings!"

"Speaking to the screen is foolish and useless…" Chocoberry said before eating more nachos.

"Really? I do it aaaaall the time! And I'm not foolish…or useless…" Cinnamon Bun replied staring at her with a silly smile.

"Of course you are not, hon…" the chocolate covered strawberry laughed focusing on the screen again.

/

Standing at the middle of the hall, the hero's jaws dropped staring at the magnificent crystal chandelier that hanged from the ceiling, it was huge and sparkled in the darkness thanks to the moonlight that slipped in through the windows. An ivory staircase leaded to the upper level where a big stained glass window glowed showing off an image of raven perched on top of a woman's sculptured bust and a short phrase was written under it.

"Only this and nothing more…" Billy read scratching his white long hair "What does this mean, huh?"

A soft but gloomy voice echoed from a distant chamber. They turned their heads searching for its source and noticed a flickering light coming from an open door next to the stairs.

"_Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted…  
On this home by horror haunted _

_tell me truly, I implore…  
Is there - __is__ there balm in Gilead? _

_tell me - tell me, I implore!'  
Quoth the raven, _

_Nevermore…" _

A lonely man narrated sitting in a red sofa in front the chimney's fire. He closed his book and a cloud of dust was lifted over his face.

"Oh…" he whispered still not facing them "Good evening, you arrived just in time for the last tour!" he stared at his watch "Yes, 8pm!"

"S-sorry but…" Bubblegum began trying to apologize politely "We didn't come for a…tour…"

"Not again!" he said jumping from his seat and placing his hand on his forehead "Two in the same night, what kind of cruel joke is this? I can't remember the last time I received a group in my beloved home and now it seems that no one came here looking for the beauty of my horrors!" He turned around reveling his polished hairstyle; short and black with a few strokes of gray caused by age. A french-like mustache adorned his upper lips and his green eyes stared at them with a concerned look.

He stretched his ebony tuxedo and aligned his bow tie "Please forgive my sudden reaction, it's been centuries since the last time I spoke to another person and I felt a little disappointed by the fact that you didn't come to enjoy my thrilling tour" he cleared his voice "When I heard the doorbell my heart jumped in excitement and well, I thought…that the old days had returned."

Finn examined his appearance carefully and noticed that he looked a lot like him "T-tell me are you human?" he asked making a few steps forward.

"Alas my dear, not anymore…" the mid-aged man replied obviously thinking that he was Susan and not a boy. "You see, once my wife and I used to inhabit this exquisite mansion…oh yes…" he whispered drifting in his memories "We used to sit by this fire and read our favorite author when the storms cut out the electricity and leaved us in darkness. I still remember some… "The black cat", "The pit and the pendulum", "The tell-tale heart" and of course the one we loved the most "The raven…" Oh, but then…tragedy came to bring the wonderful nightmares that we so eagerly enjoyed into our reality!"

"What happened to you?" the Flame Princess questioned staring at his sad expression.

"Young lad, I fear that my story is too bitter to recall but I'll try to do my best; one cold autumn afternoon I found out that my wife was murdered right in this same manor by some unknown criminal in the most gruesome way, I couldn't take it so I decided to follow her demise. "Till death do us apart" we bowed before our dear God, but we didn't want to be separated and our souls were cursed. She and I were condemned to wander in this world as restless spirits for all eternity and we couldn't ask for a better prize."

"The years passed us by and we noticed changes in our home, it had been turned into some kind of exhibition and we began to scare the visitors. It was something wonderful, I tell you…More years came and the Monster Coaster was built taking advantage of our haunting home as part of the main attractions, people began to visit us from every corner of the world just to be frightened voluntarily, it was delightful!" he chuckled "They used to call us The ghostly lovers and soon more phantoms joined our crew, we became a family and the best part was that humans believed that were product of auto projectors and smoke & mirrors illusions"

He extended his arms and shouted with a big warm grin "Come and fascinate your nerves at the world's best haunted mansion ever!" he ended with a perfect maniacal laughter. "And then, the unthinkable…that dammed war!" the man cursed hitting the wall with his fist "The human's vanished from this miserable planet and then some masked swine came to take my beloved Leotte to the underworld with him…I haven't known anything about her after that and I've spend all this centuries reading over and over again "The raven" finding out that the main character and I shared the same fate, the only difference: He was a mortal and could kill himself whenever he wanted to, but what about me? Would I spend the rest of my unnatural life crying for her and waiting for imaginary guests? Guess…that's what I've been doing…depressing, huh?"

"Yeah man, seriously-!" Jake replied folding his pale arms over his chest and was interrupted by the red haired man elbowing him.

"We are sorry to hear that" Bubblegum said lowering the hero's gaze but then something crossed her mind making her gasp "Wait a second, did you say that your wife was Lady Leotte?"

The man leaned on his red velvet sofa and lowered his head feeling overwhelmed by grief, the lines of his favorite tale haunted his mind and filled the silence with his enchanting voice quoting the words composed by Edgar Allan Poe _"Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,  
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore  
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named _**Leotte**_?'  
Quoth the raven, Nevermore… _Yes Leotte, my Leotte, her fate has always been a tormented one and all because of her power…If only I could travel to the depths of the Underworld, I swear I'd stab a thousand hearts just to bring her back!"

"Man…this guy's rad!" Marceline said while scratching her ear with Jake's foot sitting on the floor.

"Then, the inscription on the tombstone…this place…everything is real!" Finn shouted in excitement "But…hey Marceline what about the goblin that we were chasing a while ago? You said he was hiding here!"

"Right!" she gasped standing up "Hey…um Mr.?"

"Brice, My name is Vincent Brice…" the man replied bowing before them "It's a pleasure to meet such a particular party after so many eras of isolation, Ah! What do we have here?" he cried in amazement walking towards the vampire girl "A fellow member of the unknown, an undead creature!"

Jake felt uncomfortable feeling the man's grasp on his chin while he examined his features. Vincent Brice turned Marceline's head and then his voice echoed in the room again "Haha! The mark of the vampire! Leotte and I always knew that such amazing devils were not only product of Sir. Bram Stoker's fantasy!" he opened her mouth without considering the meaning of personal space and checked her pointy teeth "Look at these, perfect fangs hehe!" he touched one with his finger and its skin was easily penetrated shedding a single crimson drop on the green carpet "Yes…sharp enough to pierce a man's throat and reach his jugular vein, tell me vampire what does blood taste like?"

"Umm…" Jake replied with his mouth still open "Listeh misteh I'm noh-"

"Imposible!" Vincent gasped again dropping Jake in the process, this time his stare was fixed on Finn…well Flame Princess in reality. "Are you a human?"

"Y- yea-…" she couldn't finish her answer.

"No! No need to reply! I can recognize a member of my former species, when I see them, haha believe it or not my boy, we humans used to rule this world once!"

Marceline cleared her voice to call their attention and then proceeded to speak again "Listen buddy, I'm sorry for interrupting you but we are in a hurry… have you seen an evil clown or maybe a tiny goblin hanging around here lately?"

"Well little dog, to tell the truth, yes I have…as I told you awhile ago you are not the first visitors to enter my mansion tonight. I don't know anything about an evil clown but I saw a little green runt breaking through one of my stained glass windows and not satisfied with desecrating my home he dared to escape his punishment by running into the attic!"

"In the attic, huh? Great, we'll help you get rid of that insect!" Marceline replied making her way out of the chamber.

"Not so fast, my dear hound!" Vincent Brice exclaimed appearing in front of her to block her path "I'm afraid I can't let you wander through my halls… not without a proper guide at least…"

"What? Why!" the Ice King asked picking up his penguin and putting him under his pink arm.

"The spirits that dwell within this walls have become a little bad-tempered and have lost their sense of hospitality… Now that I think about it, it'll be best for you to turn around and leave this place while you can, hehe!"

"No way!" the young hero replied clenching his fist "We need to catch up with that goblin, he has the cosmic radar!"

Vincent Brice laughed and grabbed a candelabrum, which he lighted by snapping his fingers "Are you sure?" The gang nodded with determination causing him to chuckle "Very well foolish mortals, follow me, let us begin our tour but notice that now…" He turned around to face them with a wicked smirk "There's no turning back!" A strong gust put out the chimney's fire and slammed the entrance doors shutting them as he laughed.

"Did I mention that this guy is rad?" Marceline recalled blinking her eyes in astonishment. The rest of the gang said nothing, shivering with fear.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you…" their host whispered guiding their way upstairs "I beg you to keep your hands off my belongings and try to stay together, I'll hate to lose you…so soon, hehe…"

"Psst! Finn…" Jake whispered elbowing Susan's forearm "You really think that we can trust this guy?"

"Yeah, totally! Didn't you hear what Marceline said? He's cool!"

His now vampire brother gulped nervously "Right…cool…"

They arrived to a balcony that gave them a view of a large empty room. Huge windows that leaded to the garden were aligned across the sculpted walls and lighted the marble floor with the full moon's glow.

"You may not believe it but there was a time in which this room used to be filled with music performed by the most distinguished orchestra every night…Welcome to the ballroom, my friends. It was in this charming place that I found my wife's decapitated body and I decided to put an end to my mortal life." He sighed deeply and then continued walking "Please ignore my fellow ghost partners, they still like to dance and play their music every now and then…"

"Ghosts? What ghosts?" Princess Bubblegum replied wondering what was he talking about.

"Whoa…look at them!" Flame P exclaimed leaning on the balcony to stare down at the ghostly couples dancing and laughing carelessly at the rhythm of a grim organ's notes.

"How many ghosts inhabit this mansion, huh? They sure are a lot!" the human boy asked.

"Oh, about five hundred ninety-nine, but we have space for six hundred…any volunteers? Hahaha!"

"Hehe, yeah…" Bubblegum chuckled nervously "you have a nice sense of humor Mr. Brice…"

"Yes…_humor…" _he replied starting to walk again "Hurry my guests, we don't want that Kaala notices the smell of your flesh…"

"K-Kaala? Who's that?" the Ice King asked feeling nervous again "Some kind of princess, maybe? Hehe…"

"She's a queen in fact but believe me, you don't want to meet her…" Vincent drove them along a dark gallery "There's a reason for this manor to be called "The Black Widow's Haunted Mansion…" I hope that you don't dislike creepy-crawlies, many of them have decided to become part of this house's wonders."

"What I dislike is the sound of those words…" Marceline whispered with a frown.

/

"It pleases me to announce that we have finally arrived to the attic, please feel to open this magnificent door whenever you are ready, hehe…"

"Ready for what?" the legendary hero asked staring at him with curiosity "Hey! Where are you going?" he shouted watching the ghostly figure of their host vanishing at the end of the long room passage.

"I'm truly sorry, but the time has come for me to leave you now…" Vincent replied waving his hand "Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you…_on the other side,_ hahaha!" he disappeared while the terrifying sound of his laughter filled the room.

"I don't like this, I don't like anything of this!" the Ice King complained hugging Gunter.

"Oh! But we can trust him, you said… He's cool, you said!" Jake the vampire girl groaned frowning at his brother.

"How about if we open this door and find out what the flip is this guy talking about?" Marceline suggested turning the knob and stepping in.

They entered a wide dark chamber with no windows and realized that Vincent had taken the candelabrum with him so there was no way to light the room. The gang walked slowly with their senses on alert, anything could jump over them at any moment, only Glob knows what sort of terrors waited for them within the shadows.

A stiff scratching sound called their attention "It comes from the roof…" Billy whispered searching for his sword on his back but then groaned remembering that he wasn't himself.

"Darn it!" Marceline gasped kneeling down to lift something from the cold floor "Now, this is sad…" she said showing them a dead bat on her paws "the floor is covered with them…"

Something fell from the ceiling making a hard sound. Flame P asked Susan to check what it was using the light of her flames. The fiery hyooman gasped in fear turning back to look at her friends "The- the clown…" she muttered showing them a skeleton covered by a thin layer of skin.

"What does this means?" Princess Bubblegum wondered analyzing the corpse "It's impossible for it to have decomposed so fast, we met him three hours ago!"

"That's not a rotten body…" the Vampire Queen replied observing it carefully "Something drained his blood and organs…"

"D-drain?" the Ice King asked embracing Bubblegum's body and of course he was smacked by the princess using Billy's strength.

"Don't touch me, you sick good-for-nothing excuse of a wizard!" she yelled clenching her greenish fists.

"Forgive me Princess, I can't help it, how do you expect me to remember that I'm not using my body?" the pink old man cried covering his bubblegum hair.

"Shhh…shut it! Will ya?" the short bulldog scold them both "That scratching sound…its getting closer… Flame-! … AGH! Susan light the ceiling now!" she ordered feeling the adrenaline rise inside her furry body.

The fire elemental hyooman obeyed trying her best to control the intensity of the flames, which she didn't know how to manipulate. The fire rose and licked the ceiling burning whatever was observing them from the dark. "No, that's too much!" Flame P warned making the Susan lower her heat but it was too late.

A deformed creature felled screeching in pain, they couldn't believe their eyes; a giant black spider was staring at them with its eight green glowing eyes. A bright red hourglass-like mark on its abdomen helped Princess Bubblegum identify it. "A _Theridiidae __Latrodectus _arachnid, I can't believe its size!"

"Sorry but…WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAIYING?" Marceline replied obviously bothered by the princess's scientific terms.

"You heard what that Vincent Brice guy said, there's a reason for this place to be called "Black Widow's Spider Haunted Mansion", well there's the reason!" Bubblegum yelled pointing the furious arachnid struggling to stand on its eight extremities "That's a black widow spider!"

"Oh, so that's Kaala?" Finn asked unsheathing his blade … "My sword? Glob, I'm not me!"

"Guys careful… this spider's venom its known for being quite toxic due to the size of its venom sacs, of course it depends on its genre; females are the dangerous ones!"

"And which one are we fighting against Bonnibel?"

"Umm…I can't tell but Vincent said she was queen…"

The yellow dog growled in annoyance "It's never easy, right? Never!"

The spider shook its body and began to crawl forward them exposing its large fangs bathed in venom. Finn's brain started survey the situation "_If I am Susan, I still can find a way to fight, Billy, Flame P, and Marceline can find a way around it too, but I doubt that Peebles knows how to use a sword. Still…we'll need her strength and the Ice King…nah he's useless now…" _he thought hitting his forehead softly "Hey Ice King! Stay out of this, its too dangerous for you!"

"Ha! Are you kidding? Of course I'm staying out of this!" he replied walking backwards until he felt something sticky "Uh…oh…Guys! I think I'm trapped on a spider's web!"

Finn slapped his face "Well done old man!"

"Oh…yeah about that…" Princess Bubblegum began " A latrodectus's silk is particularly strong compared to other spider's silk!"

"Great! Something else you'd like to add to make me reconsider my decision of not running away and leave you all here to die?" the vampire girl replied angrily.

"Yeah, WATCH OUT!" the princess shouted as the giant creature jumped over them.

The heroes managed to avoid the attack and the arachnid's fangs were stabbed on the wooden floor, making it impossible for her to repeat an attack. Finn saw this as an opportunity and ran to Jake's side. "Dude, stretch to immobilize her, then I'll ask Flame P for my sword and kill it!"

"Nice plan except that, how the flip I'll do that?" Marceline replied, "I'm not used to this powers!"

"Right, you're not Jake…" the human boy said in frustration.

Meanwhile the spider managed to free herself and ran towards her web. The Ice King closed his eyes feeling the arachnid's weight passing over him and then opened them to realize that she was wrapping him with her silk. "No, no! Don't do it, please!" he cried but he was already turned into a silver cocoon.

Then the black widow proceeded to hiss at her preys spitting venom drops that burned the wood floor forcing them to jump back. "If that thing catches us, we'll be doomed!" the legendary hero growled clenching his teeth. "Wait, maybe I can…" he stepped forward and attempted to fire a freezing lightning. I worked but he missed his target.

The spider locked her gaze on him and pointed her abdomen on his direction firing her silk with an incredible precision. Billy didn't even realize what happened, a few seconds later he was also turned into a silky cocoon that was later pulled into the spider's web.

"H-holy crap!" the Vampire Queen shouted taking a defensive posture "Don't tell me that thing is planning to play target shooting with us!"

The Flame Princess's body was immediately shot and captured as well "Yeah!" Susan replied before being dragged to the web.

Jake panicked "Run!" he cried as the spider began to shot them continuously at great speed.

One by one the heroes were trapped and pulled into the black widow's nest until just two of them remained, Finn and Flame P. They were easily cornered on the back of the room while the spider stared at them ready to finish her hunt once and for all.

"O-okay, there's no need to freak out…" Finn said trying to calm his friend down. The spider shot and the silk was attached to his chest making him gasp while staring at his own body, which was now being controlled by the fire elemental.

"Can I freak out now?" she asked looking at Susan's green eyes with concern.

"Yeeeaaaahhh!" he replied while being dragged into the arachnid's web.

Flame P leaned her back against the wall trying to think what to do now, there was no escape, that thing just needed one shot to take her down and that would be it, the end of her first adventure. "Eaten by a spider…" she chuckled "I never thought I'll end up that way…oh well…" she sighed "The first thirteen years of my life sucked but these last weeks made it worth something at least…"

The spider's abdomen was pointing her now "Okay…" she thought, "here goes, its sink or swim!" the black creature fired and she jumped as high as her human body could dodging the attack almost by miracle. She rolled on the floor feeling Finn's muscles contracting and expanding quickly as a side effect from the sudden adrenaline discharge on his body.

The Flame Princess stood up taking out the Blood Demon's sword not very sure of being skillful enough to use it properly but still trusting on its sharpness. The black widow hissed angrily at the human boy facing her and descended from the web willing to attack her prey directly.

A drop of sweat fell from Finn's forehead and Flame P pushed his body towards the giant spider with the sword ready to cut through its exoskeleton. The red blade accomplished its mission penetrating the widow's head. Flame Princess grinned triumphantly pulling it out but her happiness didn't last for long, the spider screeched lifting its body like wild horse and opened its jaws to swallow her entire body in a second.

A loud drowned gasp escaped from the seven cocoons that hanged from the silver web. It was over, the spider would crawl back to her nest and feast them up without mercy or at least that's what they thought.

"Wenk!" Gunter yelled from the other side of the attic holding a big strange sack with his flipper. The black widow glared at him and shrieked angrily, it was her egg sac.

The penguin kept jumping to call her attention and then began to waddle around the room as fast as he could to keep the spider away from him "Wenk, wenk, wenk!" he shouted turning his head back every now and then to see the giant arachnid following him. He got tired of running pretty soon and decided to hide behind the egg sac, but the spider's fangs retrieved her precious package away leaving Gunter wide open, then she leaned in ready to eat him.

"WENK!" the penguin screamed covering his eyes with his flippers but nothing happened to him. The black widow spider froze in the middle of her attack; a red blade emerged from her abdomen and slashed it open.

Covered in a green sticky fluid the Flame Princess stepped out of Kaala's body panting heavily. She stared at Gunter behind Finn's blue eyes with a weak smile "Thanks little guy…that was a close one, huh?" Gunter just spun on his foot and fainted.

The spider queen collapsed not moving anymore while Flame P stared at it disgusted, then she walked to her web and proceeded to free her friends with the help of Joshua's sword.

"Seriously fire girl, that was gross…" the Ice King said once his bubblegum body was freed.

"Well, you weren't the one inside that thing's guts, which reminds me…" she replied bending down near the arachnid and pulling out something from her stomach "Look what I found inside there!"

The tiny goblin that was also covered in goo hanged from Finn's hand as Flame P held him from his red bow. "How you doing?" the green creature said trying to smile.

"How do you think, little piece of-!"

"Marceline, please calm down!" Bubblegum replied with a stern look on her face "Give us back the cosmic radar or there will be trouble…" the princess ordered.

The small green creature stared at them in silence and then began to cry uncontrollably "I'm sorry! Please forgive me! You don't know what I've been through!"

"Yeah? And what about us?" the Ice King groaned angrily.

The goblin kept crying, "I didn't want to do it, really! I'm a peaceful creature! But that guy Ash, forced me to fool you!"

"Ash…that's right!" Finn exclaimed, "Tell us, what does he has to do with all of this!"

"H-he…he wanted the radar and forced me to steal it for him, I refused but he told me that if didn't help him, he'd tear my house down!" the goblin began to speak between sobs "He asked me to bring it here, to the Black Widow's Haunted Mansion while he lured you to the park but when I gave him the radar he feed me to that spider so that my smell would bring you here! Wah wah wah!"

"Stop crying please, we understand…" Bubblegum said patting his head with her greenish hand.

"Unbelievable!" Marceline replied hitting the floor furiously "That jerk tried to kill us!" she growled, "Next time I see him, I'll make him suffer for this! I swear, I'll splash his dirty blood on his face and then-!"

"Why is he doing this?" Billy said interrupting the vampire's outburst "Why does he wants the radar so badly?"

"I'm not quite sure…" the goblin said drying his tears "He met a strange guy in the Underworld, that promised to grant him protection against the Lich's powers if he gave him your cosmic radar."

/

"What?" Peppermint Butler gasped in astonishment almost choking with his soda "a guy from the Underworld, who can give protection against the Lich?"

Mannish Man stared at him in concern "Is that… something bad?" he asked.

"Yes it is!" the small candy replied "It's terrible, if that guy gets the cosmic radar then…then…"

"Then WHAT?" the Lumpy Space Princess yelled losing her patience.

"Then things could get even worse than you think miss L.S.P… Finn and his friends mustn't allow the radar to fall in the wrong hands!"

/

"Tell me little guy," Marceline said bending down next to the goblin "Where is Ash heading to?"

"Ash is-…" he was about to speak when the ghostly host, Vincent Brice appeared in the room.

"Excellent, I see that you survived to Kaala, pretty impressive I must say…."

"You! Are you with Ash?" Finn asked staring at him angrily.

"I do not know any Ashes…" he replied "I was just testing your abilities, It was never my intention to harm you!"

"Testing us? Why?" the cat hatted boy answered back.

"Because I foretold that you would be leaving to the Underworld, and since you said that you were heroes, I wanted to implore you to rescue my dear Leotte from that dreadful place" he kneeled down "Please I'm begging you, bring her back to me!"

"W-wait, we are not going to the underworld!"

"Yes, you are!" the goblin replied, "That's were Ash is heading to!"

"No, oh no!" Jake complained staring at his brother "I'm not going back there! Don't you remember the last time? The skeletons wanting to rip off our flesh, that cursed river waters that made me forget who I was and that kissing guy, Death or whatever. No! No sir. I'm not going back there!"

"I'm sorry bro, we don't have any other choice, we need to get back the radar Jake, and without it there's nothing we can do to stop the Lich from destroying the world and-… What's going on?" Finn asked feeling a sudden wave of cold hitting his body.

"That presence…" Billy whispered opening his eyes widely.

"Speaking of the devil!" Marceline replied, "Let's go find a window!"

The gang descended towards the ballroom and witnessed for the first time how the Lich drained part of Ooo's life energy. A green mist covered the theme park, killing everything on its way; the grass, the insects, the trees, everything that was considered a living being.

"It's happening!" the Ice King shouted pressing his pink face against the cold window's glass "Right here and right now, we gotta leave this place!"

"Marceline, you've got to take us to the underworld!" Finn said staring at Jake's body.

"I'd love to but I can't!" she pointed her furry body "Not without my powers!"

"Jake!" Finn replied holding the Vampire Queen's shoulders.

"No, Finn its dangerous!" Marceline warned him "Jake doesn't know how to control my powers, something could go terribly wrong!"

"Then what are we supposed to do? Die in here!"

/

"TAKE ME THERE!" Peppermint Butler ordered standing up from his seat "I have to help them, they need me to get to the Underworld!"

"Man, I'd like to aid you, really, but even if we could fly over there, we still won't be able to reach them in time!" the minotaur replied standing up as well.

"Nahahaha!" the mint candy cried in desperation "Bloody hell!"

"Maybe I can help you, small gentleman hehe!" an incredible tall and thin mid-aged woman with black hair long hair said walking towards them by leaning her "U" bended back on her wooden cane.

"The garden witch? You are willing to help us?" Peppermint Butler asked with a mistrusted look on his expression.

"Of course!" she laughed blinking her only visible eye "but for a small price that we can discuss later, hehe!"

"Hmm…" Peppermint glanced at her while rubbing his chin "It's a deal, but only because I have no choice!"

"Perfect, are you ready?" the witch asked pointing him with her cane and he replied with a nod "Very well, then… Razzmafu!" her spell made him disappear in a yellow cloud of smoke.

"Did it work?" Cinnamon Bun said scratching his head.

"Why don't you see it by yourself? There's the screen!" the witch replied.

"Uhg… No, the screen it's over there…" CB said pointing a different direction.

"Wait a minute, that's not true…Ahh! Liar! LIARS EVERYWHERE!"

/

The soon-to-be-heroes were forced to abandon the Haunted Mansion to save their lives after promising Vincent Brice that they'll search for his wife if they managed to enter the Underworld before the Lich's powers killed them.

"We need to escape to the Underworld, so what can we do? Anyone has an idea?" the legendary hero asked while flying behind his partners.

"I have one!"

"P-Peppermint Butler!" the princess said running towards him to pick him up and hugged him.

"Excuse me Sir. But I find this highly inappropriate for a hero of your level." The candy man replied from Billy's arms.

"No, it's me! Princess Bubblegum!"

"Oh! That's right, your bodies were switched, what an inconvenient situation you guys got in!"

"Peppermint, thank Glob you arrived! Take us to the Underworld, now!" Finn pleaded.

"Yeah, and please don't rip off the flesh from our bodies!" Jake added.

"Don't worry this time, I'm doing it voluntarily!" The two brother's sighed in relief.

"Those were the good news," Peppermint Butler chuckled "The bad news are that, I can't take you there the same way as before, there are no corners on this place so we'll have to try a different method…"

"What are you going to do with us?" the human boy asked nervously.

"To open the portal we'll need you to move at a great speed, so…you'll have to ride the Monster Coaster."

"WHAT?"

/

_Attention riders, for your safety please remain seated at all times during the ride, do not put your hands or feet out of the vehicle. Fasten your seatbelts and place your personal belongings between your legs. Thank you._

_Atención pasajeros, por su seguridad favor permanecer en sus asientos durante todo el recorrido, no saquen manos o pies fuera del vehículo. Abrochen sus cinturones y coloquen sus pertenencias entre sus pies. Gracias._

Any experimented roller coaster rider knows what follows after these words come out of the speakers; yeah…can't you feel the excitement, the fear, the adrenaline?

"Hahaha, I can't wait!" Marceline said smiling happily "Thanks for repairing the electric system Bonnie!"

"Y-yeah…I'm…glad, I-I did…" the princess replied after swallowing saliva.

The two girls, well boys in appearance were sitting on the first seats, Finn and Jake were behind them, on the next car Flame P and Susan on the front and Billy and the Ice King (Gunter on the car's floor) on the last seats.

The train began to move slowly "Okay…here we go bro…" Finn said holding the security bar over his chest tightly.

"Yeah, we are going up now…No turning back!" the dog inside the vampire's body replied a little unsure.

The train climbed the first hill at a slow pace to increase its rider's anxiousness "We are almost at the top!" Marceline pointed excitingly.

"Oh my GLOOOOOOOOOOOOB!" the princess yelled as they descended at high speed to enter a tangled road of metal tracks that pulled out her friends crazy screams.

"Here comes the loop road maaaaaaannnnn!" Jake shouted closing his eyes.

The wind hit their faces as they traveled up-side down one, two, three, five and eight times, not being dizzy enough the gang entered the barrel roll zone after falling from another large drop. The cars spun crazily in a perfect circle motion mixing up their stomach's contents.

"I'm sorry man…" the Ice King said covering the princess's mouth with her pink hand "but I'm going to- BLAAGGHHH"

"HELL NO!" the hero groaned disgusted "Now, it's going to splash our clothing!"

Passing by the cobra roll, the corkscrews, and the zero-G rolls, the brave riders approached the last part of the monstrous roller coaster. The 90° drop.

The cars climbed and climbed sending shivers down the rider's spines.

"No more, no more!" the Ice King cried hugging Billy.

"Get off me!" he replied pushing him away "Show some nerve man!"

Flame P held her stomach "Ow… do you feel that strange emptiness inside your chest?"

"Susan doesn't know what to feel anymore…" The train fell.

Their bodies gained speed, pressure and speed…yeah more speed! They were pushed against their seats and their skins where filled with air. "WHEN IS THAT DAMN PORTAL GOING TO OPEN?" Princess Bubblegum asked not being able to take it anymore.

"I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA!" the Vampire Queen replied, her whole stretched magical skin deforming her bulldog face.

/

Peppermint Butler watched them closely using a pair of binoculars "Yep, that's enough!" he walked near the twisted tracks and chanted the opening spell.

A green glowing portal opened in the middle of the hero's fall and absorbed them, before closing itself immediately.

/

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" the gang crashed violently against the Death's light castle.

Death was, as usual, taking care of his giant Zen garden when the eight dizzy guys fell over him.

"What the?" he roared trying to stand up "You mortals! What are you doing here? Get out before I kill you!" Each and one of them ignored his order focused on emptying their stomachs over his garden. "Nooo! Not over the-!" he sighed placing his skeleton hand on his skull "Go on, vomit the only the thing I truly care for!"

"S-sorry…" Finn apologized "We just came from- bleeegh!"

Peppermint Butler arrived to the scene by his own means "Death, my friend, let me explain the situation!"

"P-Peppermint?" he gasped jumping backwards "Is it you?" he ran to hug him "Yes its you! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" Death said rocking the candy in his arms.

"Again…" Peppermint complained frowning "I find this highly inappropriate for an entity of your level…"

"Sorry pal, I'm just happy to have you here!"

Peppermint Butler sighted in annoyance "Will you listen to what I have to say?"

/

"Good morning, Peppermint friends!" the smiling skull saluted waking them up.

"Death?" Finn asked still feeling dizzy.

"Yeah, yeah! Peppermint told me everything, now get ready because I'm going to remove the curse that has been cast over you guys!" the talking skeleton said pouring a strange liquid in eight Japanese teacups and then distributed them among the gang.

"Yagh! What's this made of?" Marceline complained after perceiving an awful smell with Jake's nose.

"You don't wanna know, believe me!" Death replied crossing his arms "Go ahead swallow that stuff, it will make you throw up your souls so I can get them back into their proper bodies.

"But I don't wanna throw up anymore!"

"SWALLOW!" Death replied losing his patience.

They obeyed and drank the strange elixir, almost instantly; they dropped the teacups and fell on their knees holding their stomachs tightly while coughing repeatedly. Eight glowing souls were spat on the ground along with some drops of blood.

Death walked towards and aligned the floating colored flames "Mmm… Let's see…" he said beginning his task "Pink for benevolence, into the bubblegum girl!"

The pink flame flew and hit Princess Bubblegum's empty body, erasing the blank expression on her face.

"Next, yellow for loyalty, get into the dog!" Death ordered and the flame entered Jake's body in the same way. "Blue for perseverance, although I can't believe it myself, into the ice wizard!" he picked another flame "Red for passion, into the fire elemental!"

Four souls remained floating around the skull-headed man "Green for discipline, into the legendary hero's body! Violet for compassion, into the cat hatted woman! White for determination, into the vampire! And finally cyan for humbleness into the human boy!"

The flames entered their respective bodies making its owners snap out of a strange trance. Princess Bubblegum began to laugh and jump around "I'm back, yay!"

"Yeah…it feels good to be the same old Jakey, hehe!" the yellow bulldog said embracing himself.

"Oh, I've missed you!" Marceline replied doing the same.

"Man, that was the craziest thing I've ever experienced!" the Hero shouted stretching his muscles "I don't want that to happen again!"

"Enough celebration!" Death ordered with a sudden mood swing "You are not here to waste your time, you must leave immediately and chase that Ash guy!"

"That's right, guys let's finish with this!" Finn shouted while running into the land of the dead.

His friends followed him with renewed strength, to deal once again with the mysteries of the unknown.

"Beware of the masked man, good fellas, beware of the masked man..." Death whispered watching them go away.

* * *

**What time is it? Time for a small price that was discussed later!  
**

"Do it, c'mon! What are you waiting for?" the garden witch ordered impatiently.**  
**

Peppermint Butler stared at her with a frown "I find this quite humiliating for someone of my level Mrs.!"

"I'M NOT MARRIED!"

"Whatever, I'm still refusing to do this!" the candy groom replied glaring at her.

"Do it or I'll turn you into a baby, is that what you want?"

"No..." he answered lowering his gaze "All right, I'll do it..."

The witch laughed pleased taking out her video camera "Now this will be a hit for my newsletter, hehe!"

Peppermint Butler took off a white coat that he was wearing over his body to reveal that he was dressed with a chocolate color tight suit and an umbrella.

"Go on, go on!" the curved witch laughed pointing her camera at him.

The mint flavored candy sighted and began to sing in front of all the Candy Kingdom's citizens.

_"Chocolate Rain..._  
_ Some stay dry and others feel the pain_  
_ Chocolate Rain..._  
_ A baby born will die before the_ _sin" _

Of course everyone burst in laughter._  
_

_"Chocolate Rain..._  
_ Raised your neighborhood insurance rates_  
_ Chocolate Rain..._  
_ Makes us happy 'livin in a gay"_

"Glob...I've lost all my self respect..." Peppermint Butler moaned before continuing with his ridiculous dance.

_"Chocolate Rain..._  
_ Worse than swearing, worse than calling names_  
_ Chocolate Rain..._  
_ Say it publicly, and you're insane!"_

"Great, great, now do it again!" the witch ordered taking off her camera's lens protector "I forgot to take this off, hehe!"_  
_

Peppermint Butler squinted his eyes "I'll keep asking for flesh..."

* * *

**Author notes:**

So, how was it? Did you like it?

Any classic horror movie's fan would have recognized my small tribute to Vincent Price, God as Marceline said, he used to be a rad guy!

Anyway, as always Suggestions, complaints, or any opinions you may have, please review. Happy reading!

* * *

**Coming up on the next chapter!**

During their journey through the Land of the dead, Finn starts having strange visions that will ultimately separate him from his friend's side, worrying the heck out of them, speacilly his brother and his girlfriend.  
A new mysterious enemy appears to corrupt the power of the cosmic weapons and Finn will have to deal with him during his lonely journey across the valley of the restless souls.

How the math are going to find the radar and Finn? Who's the masked man? Will they find a way to return to the world of the living and continue their mission?

The answers to this questions and much more, on the next chapter: Tale 21 Something wicked this way comes!

"If you want to bring someone back from the death, a sacrifice must be made"

"What the lump does that means?"

"Shhh! L.S.P!"

"Sigh... Brad and I used to look at each other in that same way..."

"What?"**  
**


	21. Dead!

Adventure Time: The Awakening of Heroes!

**II: The Wandering**

* * *

Tale 21: Something wicked this way comes! Part I: Dead

The Land of the Dead, also known as the Underworld is a dark cold region full of nothing but strange beasts, insects, black magic and bones, lots of bones piled up on the ground. Death's light castle was the only sun shining over this world's eternal night.

Ash, was supposed to be there four hours ago, now he was late and that fact concerned him gravely. He kept flying at high speed holding the cosmic radar on his hands tightly. "He's going to kill me!" he thought as he flew into a strange portal that was summoned before him when he reached his destination.

The grey skinned wizard punk entered into some kind of alternate dimension and passed by the millions of static mortal souls staring at him from under the Well of Regret's purple clear waters lifting their arms to drag him down with them. He ignored them turning his gaze away and focused on landing over a small boat.

"Your flying abilities are useless here, if you want to cross to the other side of Kcharon's river, you must offer a payment…" A black hooded skeleton holding a long wooden paddle within his cold fingers whispered at him.

Ash snorted angrily taking out a golden coin from his pocket and tossed it towards the death ferryman "I already know that, now get moving! I don't have time to waste!"

The skeleton caught the coin and began to paddle over the restless soul's faces until its boat disappeared inside the thick purple mist. Ash sat on a small bank absorbed in his own thoughts while waiting for his ride's end.

Finally after what seemed an eternity for the young wizard, the ebony ship sank on the soft sands of the river's edge and he jumped out praying for his new master's compassion. "Come on, open!" he shouted while pushing a stone door to reveal a secret path inside the Caverns of Despair "How I hate this cursed place!" the teenager growled making his way inside.

As he walked, his surroundings started to look more like the interior of a gypsy wagon than the inside of a dirty cave. Ash stopped in front of a round table where a crystal ball rested waiting for someone to summon its infinite foretelling wisdom. "Hey, I'm back!"

"I can see that…" a woman's voice replied from inside the crystal ball as her ghastly face materialized to stare at him "You brought the tracking device with you…" she whispered with a dull tone.

"Sure, what were you expecting witch?" he laughed showing her the cosmic radar.

"How amusing…" the woman replied closing her eyes "It only shows the kind of selfish rat that you truly are, yes a rat…and a coward…"

"What?" Ash yelled angrily "Who do you think you are, huh? My mother?" he hit the table with his fist "Listen witch, I'm not a coward, I'm a great wizard and I deserve more respect!"

"Then I suppose that abandoning and betraying the girl you once said to love, and even attempting to erase her from the land of the living along with her friends, isn't a cowardly act…" the crystal ball's ghostly voice echoed through the room "Young man, your mind is so spoiled that I even feel pity for you…"

"You better shut your impertinent mouth before I break you against the wall!" the grey skinned teenager yelled grabbing and swinging her back and forth like if she were a bowling ball.

"Ash!" a deep voice scolded him from behind a black curtain next to the round table "Leave Madame Leotte where you found her!" The white haired punk placed the crystal ball over the table and then folded his arms in sign of impatience. "You are late…four hours late!" the voice shouted.

"I know, but it wasn't easy to fool Marceline and her lame crew of mortals!"

"I will not accept excuses!" he chuckled "You are as useless as a human cub!"

Ash lowered his head in submission "I know…"

"Now, tell me…did you bring Princess Bubblegum's device?"

"Yeah…" Ash replied showing him the cosmic radar.

"Let's get moving then…" the grim voice ordered.

/

Finn and Jake ran using their strength to climb a bone mound where Billy was waiting patiently while extending his hand to pull them up. Once on the top Jake stretched his body to lift Princess Bubblegum and bring her to their side.

Marceline, Flame P and the Ice King flew from behind to reach them.

"Marcy" Finn called walking towards her floating figure "You said that you used to hang around this place in the past…"

"Yep!" the Vampire Queen replied waiting for his question.

"Any idea of where Ash could be heading to?"

"Normally I would have suggested checking in the Frozen Finger's Pub, lots of illegal merchants used to meet in there to negotiate and stuff but now I'm not that sure…"

"Why not?" Jake asked stretching his neck to look at her better.

"Well, because this place is empty, I mean that, there's nothing or no one around here so, I don't see why he should be there." Marceline replied floating higher to inspect their surroundings "Don't you guys have a clue or something?"

"She's right!" the yellow dog gasped staring at his brother "We should had been attacked by a bunch of flesh-eating skeletons by now, where are they?"

"Up there" Billy the hero answered pointing the black skies over them "the Lich summoned them into our world, remember? Rise of the undead?"

"Oh…it's true, hehe, I failed to make the connections!"

"As for a clue" the orange-haired hero continued by turning his head to stare at Marceline "the goblin and Death said something about a masked man, doesn't that mean something to you?"

"Nah, guess we are stuck again…" Marceline replied landing next to him "Jake, what about your nose?"

"I still can't figure it out, his scent is scattered around the whole area, and it's confusing!"

The gang began to argue between each other, some times, some of Marceline's screams scolding Princess Bubblegum for letting the goblin steal the radar were heard and sometimes the Ice King would reply with senseless speeches about how friendship and teamwork were like cutting his feet nails but the young human boy wasn't part of this. He was physically there but his mind was in another distant world.

Finn stared at the horizon with a blank expression in his eyes. There was something watching him from afar, he couldn't tell what it was but it seemed that it wanted to attack him.

The creature growled and jumped reaching him in seconds, its dark furry body passed through him like if it was some kind of ghost and ran away. An intense urge to follow it grew inside the young hero and without even thinking about where he was going or about his friends asking what was wrong with him; Finn began to chase it down hill pushing his lungs, heart and muscles to the limit.

His speed was increased and as he ran the desperate calls of his teammates vanished behind him, he could only think in one thing: catching up with that strange black dog.

The dark canine panted while his running paws soared above the ground, suddenly, without leaving a trace or without any possible explanation the animal faded away and Finn's feet stopped their pace.

The human fell on his knees gasping for air, he had never felt so tired in his entire life and noticed that his limbs were shivering due to the lack of strength.

"Finn!" Finally the blue-eyed boy managed to hear his brother's distant cries.

Jake's body was stretched into jumbo size to make it easier for him to reach Finn. The yellow dog's giant tongue hanged from out his mouth as his speed lowered to let himself fall next to him.

"Glob…I'm in a terrible shape…" Jake complained lying next to his brother "What happened to you buddy? Why did you run all the way here at that speed?" his voice sounded confused.

"Jake I…"

"Damn it Finn!" the Vampire Queen shouted arriving to their side "What the bleep was that for?" The rest of the gang arrived one after the other to rest their bodies over the pile of bones where they were standing.

"I-I was chasing that black dog!" Finn replied wondering about their confused look.

"Black dog?" Everyone replied staring at him as if he was crazy.

"Didn't you see it?" the boy asked not believing their words "That thing jumped over me and ran away!"

His friends turned to look at each other in concern. "Finn…" Princess Bubblegum whispered placing her hand on his shoulder "Nobody saw that black dog… are you feeling okay?" she asked proceeding to touch his forehead with her open palm.

"N-no, Peebles! I'm not sick!" he replied with frustration "I swear it was there!" Finn pointed out the empty horizon "I-I'm not crazy!"

"I believe you…" Finn gasped and stared at the Ice King. "I saw that dog too!" the blue skinned old man placed his hands around his eyes "With my wizard eyes!"

"You see!" Finn said turning his head at the rest of the gang.

"I don't want to make you feel bad Finn but that guy's argument is as invalid as yours" Marceline elbowed him while pointing the Ice King. Finn groaned falling on his back while covering his face with both hands.

"Hey!" Billy's voice took them out of their thoughts "What's that? Over there!" A white light sparkled in the distance like straggled star within the darkness, at the same direction where Finn had pointed before.

The human boy's eyes were opened widely "She wants us to follow her!" he said making everyone's concern on him grow even more.

"That light?" Marceline asked crossing her legs "It spoke to you?"

"Can't you listen to it?" Finn replied feeling more confused with every passing second. His friends shook their heads. "Oh…Glob…"

"Maybe…" Jake whispered calling their attention "Finn has become a medium or something like that!"

"Seems legit…" Marceline said with a relaxed tone "Either that or our hero has gone insane…"

"Finn?" Susan asked, "Is the star still calling?" Finn nodded.

"The let's do what she says!" the Flame Princess replied trying to stand up again but her body didn't respond "Ugh… Is any one else feeling weak?"

"Yeah!" Jake replied with his face stamped against the ground.

"Of course…" Bubblegum said staring at them "We are suffering a side effect from our last adventures, our adrenaline level has dropped taking our energy down with it…" Her stomach growled "I also remember that our little ride on that infernal roller coaster made us empty our stomachs over Death's Zen garden…"

"Who votes for finding a shelter to eat something and get a little nap?" the Vampire Queen yelled.

"AYE!" Everyone replied raising their right arms.

/

Marceline flew searching for a cave or something that they could use as a shelter, she smiled when she distinguished a whale's skeleton in the distance and landed to check it out. "Yeah…a bit stinky but it will do…" she spoke to herself patting the inside of the giant mammal's skull.

Soon the rest of the heroes-to-be gathered inside to take their well-deserved rest and sat on the ground leaning their backs against the white skull. Finn took off his green bag and opened it to drop a few apples, some pieces of his birthday cake wrapped in a dirty tissue, four water bottles and some trash that he later placed on the center so that Flame P could turn it into an improvised campfire.

When everyone began to eat, the human boy sighed happily and decided to join them sitting next to Bubblegum and Jake but when he rested his back on the wall an intense sting ran through his body making him flinch.

Jake noticed this and stared at him worriedly "Finn are you alright?" he asked after swallowing a piece of cake.

"Yep…" he replied grabbing his backpack and searched for something inside it "I just need to replace my bandages…" he said taking out the ointment that Bubblegum gave him for his burns.

Finn opened it and then moaned in annoyance "Great, I ran out of this!" he pocked the pink princess's forearm "Peebles do you have more of this?"

"Oh…" she whispered, "I'm sorry, I only brought one of those with me… but if it's hurting you that much maybe you can use that river's water to sooth the pain" Finn sighed and tossed the empty container.

"But isn't that the river of Forgetfulness?" Jake replied staring at Bubblegum.

"No…" a small bat perched on the ceiling said "That river only flows near Death's light castle…"

"Are you sure about it, Marcy?" Finn asked while standing up.

"Totally, you'll be fine…"

"Then I guess it's better for me to get moving…" the human boy replied leaving their shelter "I'll be back soon!"

"Where's he going?" the Flame Princess asked with curiosity.

"He's just going to take care of a few injuries on his body…" Bubblegum answered staring at her.

"Injuries? What happened to him? Flame P replied worriedly.

"Y-you don't know?" the other princess said not understanding what she meant. The fiery girl shook her head in confusion and this somehow bothered the candy ruler "How come you don't know? You were the one who hurt him!"

Flame P frowned "I hurt him?" she replied pointing herself and then noticed the empty container on the ground. She picked it up and gasped lowering her gaze "This is for healing burns, right?"

"Yeah!" Bubblegum said still annoyed by the Flame Princess's ignorance "Don't tell me now that you can't notice when you burn him!"

The other girl was about to shout back "I-! You-!" she thought about it for a moment softening her features "I guess…I… forgot about it…"

That was the last straw, Princess Bubblegum lost the last of her patience "Glob, girl! How can you not be aware of how dangerous you are?" she yelled at FP.

It was probably due to the fatigue, hunger or cold. Maybe she was too worried about her hero's safety or maybe her inner thirteen year old just wanted to unburden itself against the other princess, in any case Bonnibel wasn't in the mood to tolerate any made up excuses or things of that sort. The Flame Princess, on the other hand, lost all her will to fight back. She flinched at her words and stared at her with a guilty look.

"You are right…" she whispered before flying out of the whale's skeleton.

"Auch…" L.S.P gasped staring at the scene. "She shouldn't have said that…"

Flambo nodded in agreement "Yep…that was a little harsh, even for someone like Princess Bubblegum…" the small fire elemental sighed lifting his gaze at the lumpy princess "Flame Princess's got a complex about being slightly more threatening than a regular fire elemental you know?"

Bubblegum watched her go realizing of what she had done "Flame Princess!" she shouted, "Come back! I didn't mean to-!"

"Well done, Bonnibel…" Marceline teased her returning to her human-like form but still hanging upside down with her arms crossed "If something bad happens to that girl, it'll be all your fault!"

The candy princess sighed in concern "You are not helping me…"

"Then that means…" she yawned turning around to take a nap "I'm doing a good job…"

"Just… what the fudge is wrong with me?" Bubblegum yelled burying her face on her knees.

"I told you…" the vampire whispered half-asleep "You've got issues…"

Princess Bubblegum felt irritated again "I don't have any issues!" she yelled pulling Marceline down. The rest of the gang froze staring at her "What are you guys looking at?" she screamed feeling the weight of their stares.

"Okay…" the Vampire Queen said from the ground "Maybe you don't have issues…maybe you are just at that time of the month…"

"Marceline!"

/

Finn walked towards the river noticing that the distance between their improvised shelter and it was longer than he imagined. A perpetual silence fell over him, Marceline was right; the land of the dead was completely empty and…well, dead.

Once he reached the river's edge, the human boy sat down, then took off his "awesome" hat and his blue shirt and proceeded to fold them carefully. Next he began to remove the bandages that Jake and Princess Bubblegum wrapped around his shoulders, chest, arms and any possible place were his body entered in contact with Flame P's heat during their embrace.

He stared at the flowing waters with hesitation, thinking about how cold it could be, Finn hated to bath and this healing process was going to be pretty much the same as bathing. His finger touched the water "Burrr! I was right!" he spoke to himself to fill the silence with a different sound rather than his own breathing and wrapped his arms around his exposed skin to catch some warmth.

The young hero bit his lip in resignation "The faster I do this, the faster I'll get to sleep over Jake's warm fur!" he encouraged himself and leaned close to the river and stared at his blurry reflection on it.

A smiling blond boy waved his hand at him "You are crazy man!" Finn talked with his reflection "How can you be inside there and smile at me like if it was nothing, huh?" he moaned faking anger towards the boy in front of him "Let's see if you keep smiling after this!" Finn shouted playfully and hit the water with his fist erasing his image momentarily "Yeah, take that you bath lover!" he laughed pointing the river.

He waited for the disturbed waters to get calm again so he could ignore his personal task of relieving the pain from his body "Okay smily bud, come back so I can punch you again!" he teased his reflection and leaned close for a second time but this time he did not only found the young smiling boy reflecting in the water.

He saw the black dog sitting by his side while growling at him and dropping saliva from his sharp fangs. A shiver ran through Finn's spine as he gasped and lifted his face in surprise to check his surroundings. The dog wasn't there. He glanced at the river again and ignored the frightened pale boy staring at him to look for the animal but it wasn't there anymore. "What the?"

Finn shook his head trying to ignore what happened, "Maybe I'm too tired to think clearly…I better get finished with this!" He decided to continue treating his wounds. He sunk his hand in the cold water and then rubbed his forearm softly while resisting the sudden sting on his damaged skin.

"You okay?" a concerned voice that the human was able to recognize instantly made him turn his face.

"F-Flame P?" the blond boy attempted to stand up but she stopped him pushing his shoulder down and sitting next to him "Please don't worry about this…this!"

"This was my fault, right?" the fiery princess interrupted him "I knew you should had gone away when I told you…" she whispered burying her face on her knees.

"Hey no…please this is nothing!" Finn smiled searching for her eyes "I'll be okay, I just need some time and refreshment to get fully healed" he took some more water and rubbed his arm "See? This helps with the pain!"

Flame P lifted her gaze giving him a little of relief. He understood how much it bothered her to burn, especially when it meant hurting someone she really cared for, and felt regret for letting her notice the wounds that she provoked on him when they shared their first kiss.

"Let me help you…" Flame Princess said extending her arm towards the river.

"Huh? No!" the human boy replied grabbing her hand before she touched the water "Don't hurt yourself for me! Flame P I…I can-…"

"But you've already hurt yourself for me twice!" she complained retrieving her hand "Finn let me do this okay?" her mouth curved into a smile "I can take it…"

Finn shook his head repeatedly "No, no way!"

/

"Oh, c'mon! Just let her do it!" the Lumpy Space Princess groaned crossing her arms in annoyance "Can't you see that she wants to compensate you?" she yelled staring at the screen and waited for a response from the audience but no one replied.

L.S.P. blinked in confusion turning her head around "What? Everyone fell asleep? You are going to miss everything!"

Mannish Man replied with a snore.

"Okay, more food for me then!" she said snatching a cereal bowl from his hands but he continued to be lost in the arms of Morpheus. "Fine!" she frowned "But I'm not going to give you guys a summary of what happened, no sir!"

Flambo just yawned and curled himself.

/

"Finn, I won't feel any better if you don't let me help you with your burns…" she tilted her head and stared at him with begging eyes. "Pleeeaase"

Those sparkling golden eyes, Finn's assertive resolve melted away just by looking at them. He mumbled a few incoherent words watching her, his face blushed "Okay but if it gets too painful for you, please stop before I force you to do it! Is that clear?"

She nodded happily "Thanks Finn…"

Flame Princess asked him to turn around, so she could start working on his shoulders. Her hand sank in the water lifting some puffs of steam into the air. Finn shivered feeling her wet touch on his skin and blushed even more.

"You know…" she whispered trying to break the awkward silence that fell over them "When I first saw you, well not you, when I first saw Jake pretending to be you, I thought that you were some kind of freak!" she laughed.

Finn chuckled "Really? I can't imagine the crazy things he did while talking to your father!" he sighed "But I owe him a big one…"

"Yeah, me too…thanks to him I'm finally free from that lamp…" she replied while pouring more water on his injuries.

"Flame P, for how long were you locked inside that thing?" the boy asked sensing a tone of sadness in her voice.

"Hmm, it's hard to remember…since I was four, I guess…"

Finn turned to see her with concern "T-that's a lot! Glob, what did you do to deserve that?"

"I think that my father was trying to protect me… and also… trying to protect the kingdom from…me…" she pulled his arm to indicate him to turn again and work on his chest.

Again, feeling her eyes focused on his tanned skin, the young hero looked away so that she didn't notice him blush. "It's always been like that for you, right?" he replied.

She nodded "I've never told this to anyone before, not even my father, he would have suffered a heart attack if I did but…" she gulped "I hate being a fire elemental…"

"Flame Princess!" Finn gasped staring at her "that's…"

"I know…" she whispered "Maybe that's why I feel angry all the time, no one is safe around me, not even you…" Flame P looked into his eyes "Do you…do you think I'm dangerous?"

"You are wearing the Pyrali's sapphire…" he began but she interrupted him.

"Right, as long as I have it, I'll have a chance but what if I lose it?" she pressed her wet hand against the scorched abdomen where she had rested her head a few days ago "Just like the last time…"

"We won't let that happen again!" Finn grinned placing his hand over the now greyish skin of the back of her hand.

"And what if this didn't exist?" she replied slipping from his grip and touching her charm "would you consider me dangerous then?"

Finn didn't know what to say "Well…"

"Oh, for Glob's sake! Of course he will consider you dangerous, you're a freaking fire elemental!" L.S.P. shouted pointing the screen with her cereal spoon "Although you don't like it girl…"

"You are a fire elemental…" Finn began "and since I was a kid my parents taught me not to play with fire cause they said it was dangerous…"

Flame P lowered her head feeling overwhelmed by disappointment; she wasn't expecting that answer, not from him.

"See? What did I tell you?" the Lumpy Space Princess replied with her mouth full of cereal.

"But I never listened to them…" Finn continued placing his hand on the Flame Princess's cheek "fire is not dangerous, fire is awesome and it's only dangerous if you aren't careful with its power, so no. I would never think of you as dangerous!"

L.S.P. spat her cereal on the screen.

"To me fire is warmth, and light, and you… you are wild and strong, and passionate, and eager, and stubborn, and hard to handle, and awesome over all those things!" Flame P stared at him in astonishment "You shouldn't hate who you are cause you have a gift! Imagine all the great things that you can do with your powers and… I need you, just the way you are…"

"Darn it…" the Lumpy Space Princess mumbled before blowing her nose with a tissue "I want to marry this guy!"

"Y-you…really think so?" the red haired girl in front of him asked with a concerned look on her face. Finn just smiled staring at her. "Is that why you try to stand the pain I've caused you? Is that why…you like me?"

"…"

L.S.P was crying crazily while staring at the scene, her cereal bowl was on the floor splashing it with milk and she waved a box of tissues over her head "Tell her c'mon! What are you waiting for? Just say it: I worship the ground you walk on. You are the beacon of light in my otherwise miserable existence!"

Finn remained in silence.

"What the lump?" the purple cloud shouted impatiently "Are you going to keep staring at her like the a dumb-minded puppy all night long?" she growled in frustration "I you're not going to say anything, KISS HER OR SOMETHING DAMN IT!"

"I think you missed one…" the human boy whispered, obviously messing her up.

"Missed…one?" Flame P replied in confusion.

"Yeah…one burn, here…" he whispered pointing the burnt mark on his lips.

She gasped nervously unsure of what to do and then searched for the river on her side with her "water-burned" hand but just before she could reach the cool flowing surface, the hero grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.

"No…" he smiled childishly placing his forehead against hers "This one needs special treatment"

Flame P stared at him feeling like if she had just being freed from all her worries and held his face between her hands, then she stretched her body and touched his lips with hers.

"If only Brad had asked me to do it like them, instead of jumping over me, I wouldn't have broken up with him! Why Brad? Why, were you so cold to me?" the Lumpy Space Princess cried hugging a ball of wet tissues.

For the first time, Finn had the chance to actually enjoy their kiss without rushing to escape from the burning pain. He felt her; soft and sweet, better than what he had dreamed of. There was no pressure now; they could take their time to explore the new sensations that were growing inside them. The human boy even thought of making it last forever, he couldn't believe that she was real, a princess of his age who liked him just like he liked her. But in the end, nothing can last eternally, especially good things. They were, after all, only mortals and mortals need to breathe.

"Yes girl, I tell you!" L.S.P said after receiving a call from Turtle Princess "He's not only hot in the inside, he's also a fervid lover, you gotta believe me!"

"_And you found out about it during your research or are you just imagining that?" _The other princess asked on the phone.

"No girl! I'm watching him right now from the Lumpy Space Shelter!" the floating cloud replied filling her cereal bowl again "Oh my Glob, girl! I gotta hang, they are undressing each other!"

"WHAT?"

"Hahaha! Don't be so- ! I'm just kidding girl!" L.S.P laughed on the phone "Nah, they are just going back to their friends…hand by hand…" she sobbed, "Brad and I used to walk hand by hand!" the lumpy princess cried.

/

Susan was sleeping curled like a cat next to the fire, the Ice King eventually fell asleep too, this time, however and the other gang members thanked Glob about it, with his eyes closed. Gunter's head popped out of the wizard's beard searching for warmth and closed his lids as well.

The Vampire Queen rested peacefully from her perch on the celling; her long black midnight hair hanged from her head and when the cold wind blew, it tickled the annoyed legendary hero's nose driving him out of his meditation.

The magic dog waited patiently for his brother humming songs for himself while Princess Bubblegum sat next to him waiting for the fire elemental to appear so she could apologize for offending her. Jake became bored of the silence and sneaked out from his seat to grab Marceline's bass while she slept.

"What are you doing?" Bubblegum asked staring at him with a tired look.

"Oh, I'm just going to play some good ol' music…It doesn't bother you right?" the dog replied tuning up the red sharp instrument.

The princess thought for a while "Nah…how much harm can a song do?"

"Hehehe! That's what I wanted to hear!" Jake laughed sitting beside her and began to play, as he said, a good ol' classic.

"_Nights in white satin… never reaching the end…  
Letters I've written, never meaning to send…."_

That sounded like a love song, Princess Bubblegum thought, why in the world did Jake have to choose a love song? Was he thinking about Lady Rainicorn, maybe?

His notes had also a slight air of sadness, like if she wasn't depressed enough to listen at them, she complained mentally while staring at the flickering flames.

_"Beauty I'd always, missed, with these eyes before…  
Just what the truth is? I can't say anymore…"_

Did she just think in flames? Now she felt even more frustrated, the young princess's image flinching at her words made her feel like a crawling worm that deserved to be squished and spread all over the ground. Why did she react like that?

Maybe it was time to accept it, maybe Marceline was right, maybe she was jealous after all…

"It was about time!" L.S.P shouted munching her cereal. _  
_  
_"'Cause I love you, yes I love you, oh how I love you!" _Jake sang eagerly probably lost in his thoughts about Rainicorn.

Love, what does that even means? This was all Finn's fault, why does he have to be such a nice guy? When she met him, he was just a kid, a kid with a childish crush on her. Sometimes it was cute, sometimes it was annoying but she had always cared for him in a special way, he was her friend.

She was an adult and he was a kid, it was ridiculous for someone like her to even consider the slightest possibility of falling in love with him but that was before the Lich's accident. As a thirteen year old just like him, that possibility didn't seem foolish at all. She herself, didn't want to turn eighteen again, Bubblegum had enjoyed being a kid, being free from responsibilities and being free to hang out with Finn.

The young girl inside her wanted desperately to stay with him and her adult side wanted desperately to be able to like him, but her kingdom was first and she had to sacrifice those feelings to save her people.

Young Bubblegum had to leave but not before sharing her true feelings with him, she instructed him to hug her that was all they needed to make her plan work. Just a hug, but in the last second, what happened? She gave him one unnecessary kiss and then vanished to become the princess who was unable to like him in that way.

"_Gazing at people… some hand in hand…  
Just what I'm going through… they can't understand…"_

Princess Bubblegum shook her head and fixed her gaze at the horizon. There he was, walking next to his princess, holding her hand and laughing. She was glowing bright, which meant that she was happy and who wouldn't be? Flame Princess was young like him, she loved adventures like him and she wasn't exactly the smartest person in the world, just like him. They were made for each other, true, nature was against them but it was nothing that a little bit of magic couldn't solve.

"_Some try to tell me… thoughts they cannot defend…  
Just what you want to be, you will be in the end…"_

Bubblegum couldn't deny it they looked cute together. And Flame P, she grew up locked in a lamp deprived from any kind of freedom, in contrast with her, she deserved to be happy with him.

She sighed; maybe if she had been born in some kind of alternate dimension and had the chance to meet Finn as a kid, things would have worked out for the better. But that wasn't the case. "Accept it Bubblegum, you were born to be his friend…" she whispered.

"_And I love you, yes I love you!  
Oh how I love you, oh how I love you!"_ Jake sang, no, shouted altering her nerves.

"Jake would you quit it?" the princess asked in frustration "You are driving me crazy!"

"But you said that it wouldn't bother you…" the dog replied letting go of Marceline's bass.

"Yeah, but it did!" she rubbed her forehead trying to calm down "You should have chosen another song like the one of the duck and the lemonade, I don't know…"

"Aghh…well…" he sighed in resignation and noticed that his brother was coming "Hey! There you are bro!" the dog greeted running towards him while waving his short tail "And I see that you brought Flame P too, man we've been worried sick about the two of you, right Princess Bubblegum?"

She opened her mouth but the words wouldn't flow, she grabbed one of the water bottles and drank one sip "Yeah…awfully…" she stretched her arms and faked a yawn "This has been a crazy and exhausting day, I'm going to sleep now…"

"Sure, sleep well Peebles!" A smiling Finn said watching her go and lean close to the hyooman.

"So Finn, are feeling better now?" his brother asked patting his back.

"Better? Man I've never felt so awesome in my life, no wait, I feel even better than awesome, I feel mathemawesome!" Flame P and Jake giggled watching him jump and dance around. "But you know what? I'm tired…"

"Hehe, no problem bro!" the yellow dog replied cheerfully "I'm turning into a bedy for my buddy and his lady!" he stretched his body into jumbo size again and lied on the ground tapping his belly "Okay kids, time to go to bed, I can assure ya that my belly is warmer and cozier than sleeping next to any campfire!"

Finn wrapped his arm around Flame P's shoulders and jumped over the dog's furry and soft body, curling up next to each other.

/

"Jake… Jake… Jake… JAKE!"

The magical dog's sleep was interrupted abruptly. He scratched his eyes and yawned bending his neck to look at his belly. "Huh?" he asked still asleep.

"Are you awake?" his human brother whispered.

"Now I am…" he replied wishing he could go back to sleep. "What is it?"

"I had that dream again…" the boy spoke under his breath to not disturb the sleep of the girl lying beside him.

"Which dream? The one of the lizard ridding a rocket and calling you names or the one of the ship sailing during a storm and you falling into the ocean?"

"The one of the ocean bro, just that this time, it was different!"

"How?" Jake asked before yawning again.

"There were two guys fighting and one of them was a human!" Finn exclaimed quietly "And then I saw them killing each other and the dog! The black dog was there!" Jake stared at him worriedly "Tell me bro, is this something normal?"

The big yellow dog shook his head "No Finn, it's weird but don't worry, maybe your tired brain is just playing tricks on you…again…"

"Oh, no!" Finn said holding his head "What if I become insane like Simon and turn into a psycho who just wants to steal princesses?"

"Listen Finn, that won't happen believe me, and if it does I promise I'll do my best to get you back, okay?" His human brother stared at him gratefully and he wanted tease him by saying that he looked like a "boom boom" baby about to cry but his nose alerted him of something strange.

"What are you smelling Jake?"

"I…sniff…perceive something…sniff…and it's coming…no, it's over us!"

Snarling at them from one of the empty eyes of the whale's skull, the black dog was getting ready to jump over them. Its long hair frizzed out resembling pointy spikes and its green eyes glowed menacingly in the dark.

"D-do you see it now Jake?" Finn shouted raising his head.

"Yeah, okay! I believe you!" the yellow dog replied "Let's get the heck out of here!" he reduced his size making Finn and Flame P hit the ground.

"Oww, hey what's wrong with you, huh?" the Flame Princess complained rubbing her head.

"Sorry!" Jake said giving her a hand "But there's a demon dog up there!"

The angry beast jumped down and cornered the trio against the wall. Finn searched for his sword but he wasn't wearing his bag "Great…" he complained clenching his fist.

Flame Princess's fire lighted the place obviously waking up the whole team with her heat.

"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Marceline moaned covering her eyes from the blinding light.

"There's the dog!" the Ice King yelled triumphantly "See? I'm not crazy, I just have this stupid wizard eyes that make see strange things all the time!"

The red-haired princess's flames didn't seem to scare the dog at all, the animal growled at them and they couldn't help but to stare at its large sharp fangs ready to sink on their flesh. With a sudden movement the dog jumped over Finn forcing him to cover his face by crossing his arms in front of it by instinct but the canine just passed through him snatching his hat and vanishing in the air.

"Uh?" Finn opened his eyes "Where did it go?" he felt the cool wind on his neck "M-my hat!"

The dog barked making everyone turn their heads towards the boney wasteland; the bear-eared hat was trapped between its fangs. Finn moaned angrily and ran out of the skull after grabbing his bag. Noticing that he was getting closer, the black animal's paws started to move forward in an extremely fast motion, another chase had begun.

"Give me my hat, you stupid dog!" the boy shouted trying to keep his speed at his best. The gang followed him from behind still not understanding what just happened, but determined to help their friend on recovering his precious hat. "We don't have time for stupid games, give it back now!"

The animal stopped its pace and turned to face the human coming before him. Finn's anger grew when he noticed that the dog was shaking its head fiercely in an attempt to tear his hat in pieces. "Don't do that!" he yelled running faster but the beast just ignored him and pressed it with its paws on the ground while pulling it with its muzzle. "You are dead!"

The young hero took out his sword and jumped over the beast but the blade passed through it without inflicting any harm. " What the? Are you like a ghost?" the dog's eyes were fixed on him, its fur frizzed out again and its furious growls warned him of an incoming attack.

Finn made a few steps backwards and lifted his sword to defend himself while the dog spat his hat and charged against him. When he felt the animal's body over him the boy tried to stab it with his weapon but once again his move was useless.

He screamed in pain feeling the dog's sharp teeth cutting through his arm's flesh and penetrating the muscle. "Let me go!" the human cried trying desperately to punch its head with his fist but it had the same effect as hitting the air. "Why? I can't touch him but he can hit me!" he complained fighting to free his bleeding arm from the beast's grasp.

"Finn!" Jake shouted arriving to the battlefield "Don't worry I'm here to h-!" he crashed against something.

Rubbing his hurt nose, the magic dog stood up to searching for the wall, rock or whatever blocking his way but there was nothing. "What's this?" he asked to himself raising his hand to touch the air in front of him and gasped in confusion feeling a hard invisible surface.

"Why are you standing over there like a fool? Finn needs help!" Marceline flew towards her human friend ignoring Jake's warning and crashed against the invisible wall. "Damn!" she complained holding her head "What happened?"

"I don't know!" Jake replied staring at her with frustration "Its like if there was an invisible barrier separating us from Finn!"

The vampire stretched her hand and proved his theory "Yeah…it's an invisible barrier…"

"What are we going to do know?" the yellow dog grabbed her shoulders and shook her eagerly "That animal is going to kill my brother!"

Marceline stared at him not knowing how to reply, she could hear Finn's painful screams and even watch him lying on the ground defenseless as the beast ripped off his flesh. The anger was building up inside her, the Vampire Queen hated to feel impotent, especially if she couldn't do anything to help her friend. "We gotta find a way to break through this and fast!" she yelled grabbing her axe-bass and began to hit the barrier with all the strength she could gather.

"W-what's going on?" the Flame Princess asked staring at the scene in concern.

Jake ran to the rest of his friends and explained them the situation. In a few seconds the gang began to attack the invisible wall mercilessly. Billy hit the barrier with his sword desperately, right before his eyes a young boy was being slaughtered and the only way to save him was to destroy that dammed obstacle.

She could see her friend fighting for his life, but for some reason his attacks were ineffective and there was no way for him to defend himself. Susan grabbed a rock and hit it with such amount of strength against the barrier that it crumbled on her hands. The wall seemed to remain intact. She couldn't even make a scratch on it. The hyooman was in shock but searched for a bigger a stone and tried again knowing that even if she failed, she wouldn't stop trying until Finn was saved.

"COME ON!" Marceline shouted not caring anymore about her axe's condition, the vampire raged against the wall using her weapon with all her might. The blade bended slightly after crashing with the invisible barrier making her even angrier than she already was and transformed into a demon beast. Her claws slashed the cursed surface repeatedly sending sparks into the air due to the intensity of the friction that she was provoking.

Princess Bubblegum's brain was blocked; she had never seen Finn in such state. He was covered in his own blood; his skin was full of scratches and deep cuts, his neck and his right arm had received the worst and the beast kept biting him restlessly. What could she do to help the boy who had saved her life a dozen times before? Nothing.

A wave of heat that threatened to melt her body forced her to jump away from the barrier along with the Ice King who had been trying to cooperate by stabbing the invisible wall with a giant mass of ice, even his penguin tried to help hitting it with a bone that he had picked up from the ground.

Bubblegum had to cover her eyes to protect them from the sudden explosion of fire that surrounded them. The Flame Princess turned into a giant fire beast and blasted her flames against the barrier for the tenth time only to find herself back on her knees trying to gather more energy to repeat the attack.

She wanted to try again but she had run out of combustion. Not being able to summon more flames she screamed in frustration and raged against it surrounding her fists with the few fire she had left. Her knuckles shattered with each hit inflicting more damage on her self than on the wall that was keeping her apart from Finn, from her prince.

Whishing for the first time in her life to be a dangerous and unstoppable force of destruction, Flame P cried pressing her face against the barrier. Behind it the black beast, considering that its job was done, vanished leaving the gravely injured human on the cold ground bleeding to death.

Finn heard the voices of his friends calling desperately for him and fought to drag his mutilated body towards them. Leaning on the invisible surface, he managed to stand on his knees and stare at her. "Flame P… don't cry…I'm okay…" he whispered weakly.

/

"No you are not, you big liar!" The Lumpy Space Princess shouted soaked in tears waking up the people around her.

"L.S.P…why can't you stay quie-…!" Flambo was about to complain when he saw the wounded young hero trying to comfort his kingdom's tearful princess. "What the F*** happened with Finn?" the small fire elemental yelled in astonishment.

"I'm not making you a freaking summary!" L.S.P replied burying her face in her used tissues.

/

He pressed his hand against hers still separated by the barrier. "I'm going to continue…from here…I can still hear that strange light…calling for us…"

His brother walked towards him pressing his tearful face against the invisible wall "No man, you are not going to make it in that condition…" he sobbed "If you are going to die at least stay with us!"

"Jake…you have to continue…without me…is the only way…"

"Don't be stupid Finn!" Marceline shouted fighting to contain the tears inside her eyes "How can you still be thinking about that?"

"Let him do it…" Billy replied with a stern look on his face "A hero knows when it's right to continue and when it's foolish to give up…" Finn stared at him with the same childish admiration that he had always felt for him making the legendary hero smile calmly "If you must continue by yourself, then do it and if you say that you'll be alright, then we'll trust in your words… Go on Finn! We promise to catch up with you later!"

Finn nodded and tried to stand up leaning on his Blood Demon sword for support. His friends just stayed there, guarding his slow pace with their worried gazes until he disappeared within the dark horizon.

/

He had been walking for three hours now, his vision was blurry and he was filled with an intense pain that wouldn't seem to diminish, his body felt heavier, even breathing was a torture. Finn had lost too much blood and felt weaker with each step he made. His face was pale and his muscles were literally killing him.

"I…need to rest…" the boy whispered collapsing on the ground. A few images of his last normal Friday morning flashed through his mind.

He saw himself waking up and jumping from his bed with a back flip to check his calendar and felt excited when he realized that it was "–ber night". Finn had circled that date with a red marker two weeks before and decided to write TODAY over it and then threw it into Jake's face to wake him up.

"C'mon Jake!" he said "Put Beemo in his charging station, we'll have a video game contest tonight, remember?"

"Sure…whatever…" the sleeping dog replied covering his face with his blanket.

That day seemed so far away now. Finn knew that he had to stand up and continue with his mission but he couldn't move anymore. He was feeling cold and moaned quietly remembering that a few hours ago he was sleeping comfortably over his cozy brother and Flame P was lying next to him hugging his arm. The same arm that was now making his consciousness fade away out of pain.

How did this happen? What was that dog and why did it attack him? There was no way to know. Maybe he was not going to make it after all, maybe he was going to die and never see his friends again. Finn hated to cry but couldn't help it. A tear rolled down his cheek and hit the ground as his heart stopped its beating.

/

"Finn the Human!" A deep voice called him. "Stand up and face me!"

His eyes opened abruptly making him feel dizzy "What happened?" He wondered blinking in confusion and then remembered the attack and his… death?

Someone pocked his shoulder "Hurry up mortal! I don't have all the eternity!"

He knew that voice "Death?" he asked turning around to meet the oddly dressed skeleton wearing a gardener hat on top of his horse-like skull and was now holding a large sickle between his hands.

"Pretty good smart boy, c'mon let's go!" he replied hitting the ground with his sickle to open a portal "You have lost enough of my time!"

"W-wait… are you…taking me away?" Finn asked feeling scared all of a sudden "Does this mean I'm dead!" he shouted lifting his arms and noticing that the pain was gone.

"Of course you're dead! Look at that!" the skeleton said pointing the ground impatiently "That used to be your body!"

Finn followed the silver blade with his gaze and gasped in terror watching the state in which he used to be, his body was, as Marceline would have said, totally screwed up. "Glob…my friends saw me…like this? They must be worrying themselves to death!"

"Not anymore!" Death shouted "There's nothing they can do for you now so hurry, we have to go!"

"Go? No way! Bring me back to life!" the blond boy ordered with determination causing Death to laugh.

"Bring you back to life? Hahaha! Yeah, right!" he replied mocking him "That's not possible!" he yelled kicking him into the portal.

Finn landed on his face groaning angrily "What is this place?" he asked observing an empty room with one chair, a lamp and a small table.

"This is the first stage you'll have to pass in order to continue with your "death process" Death answered appearing by his side "You will be judged, so sit in that chair now!"

Finn obeyed unsure of what to do and sat quietly. Soon three men with wild motorcyclist appearance, wearing long rocker beards and hair, a pair of sunglasses and dressed in business suits entered the room to stare at him.

"Welcome mortal!" One of them, who was wearing a red tie said, "I'll be the one who judges the actions and decisions that you made in your life!"

"Then" the one with a green tie continued, "I will decide if you're evil, neutral or good!"

"Evil ones are sent to the Nightosphere's prison, Neutral ones remain in the Land of the dead and good ones will be sent to Glob world!" the man with a blue tie finished "Are you ready?"

"Ummm…yeah?" the ex-human boy replied still trying to process all that information.

"Then, let the judgment begin!" Death ordered hitting the floor with his sickle.

The man with the red tie walked forward him and grabbed his head between his cold hands. "Let's see who you truly are, mortal…"

"Eagh! Wait, don't tell me that you are going to give me the kiss of death!" Finn complained feeling disgusted with the idea.

"No stupid, only I can give the kiss of death!" Death replied scratching his horse skull "He is going to see everything that you've lived through your eyes!"

The man in front of him kept staring at him awkwardly for thirty minutes and then dropped his face to whisper into the man using a green tie's ear. Next this one sighed walking from one side of the room to the other with his arms folded for a while and then stopped to look at Finn sternly.

"Finn the Human, you have bowed to slay all that is evil and therefore, dedicated your life to righteousness, heroism and ladies. I don't see anything wrong with you except for a few lies and pranks that we'll forgive for your courageous acts!"

The man with the blue tie stepped forward "Finn the Human, your mortal soul deserves to be sent into Glob World! Leave now and enjoy the rest of eternity!"

The three men disappeared surrounding their bodies with green flames and then Death proceeded to open another portal "Congratulations mortal, now go!"

"No, I don't wanna!" the boy replied angrily "I gotta live!"

Death laughed again "Stupid mortal, you have won the right to enter Glob world and still, you are thinking in going back to the living, why? Don't you know that's almost impossible to be accepted in Glob world? How can you throw away this golden opportunity?"

"I have to go back to my friends!" Finn replied stubbornly "If I die, I wanna die with them!"

"I don't want to hear you complaining again mortal!" the skeleton scolded him in annoyance "There's nothing you can do, LEAVE NOW!" he yelled pushing him into the portal with his sickle.

The young hero fell over his face again, this time, realizing that he standing in the middle of nothing. Surrounded by a white empty space, Finn felt completely lonely for the fist time of his unlife.

"Is…is this Glob world?" his echo replied him with the same question. "Hello!" again his echo answered "Anybody there?"

"Oh, Finn! My Finn!" a female voice in the distance made him turn around.

A yellow dog using a big flowered hat and earrings ran to hug him, it was his mom, Margaret and his father, Joshua was standing by her side waving hello with a grin.

"Mom? … Dad?" he mumbled not believing that they were with him.

"Yes Finn, here we are!" Margaret replied pulling him down to comb his messy hair "Son, you look terrible!" she said licking her paw to pass it over his hair.

"Mom, it's not time for that!" Finn complained smiling happily.

"He's right Margaret, leave the boy!" Joshua ordered grabbing her hand "Finn, you are not in Glob world… I have interceded for ya to give you the chance of completing your mission, now listen carefully!"

"It was necessary for you to die, although no one really wanted to allow it, we couldn't do anything to save you but that was the only way in which you could battle against the untagible spirits that inhabit the Underworld, that black dog for example, is known as the Hellhound and it's the masked man's loyal servant!"

"But dad… who the cramp is the masked man?"

"Trouble, son… that guy will only bring you trouble…" the grey hated dog answered "Some eons ago that guy was kept imprisoned at the Kartarus, you know what that is?" Finn shook his head "It is a dungeon of eternal torment designated to be the cell of the worst and cruelest souls! Anyway, no one is really sure of how he escaped but I'll tell you one thing…if you don't find a way to get rid of him, he'll corrupt the power of the cosmic weapons!"

"What? Dad… how do you-…"

"Listen boy! I don't know why is that guy going after the cosmic weapons but you mustn't stop to worry about it, focus on defeating him before he destroys our only chance to save the Earth!" Joshua shouted filled with concern "I'll tell you which path to follow from now on in order to find him, you can't let him escape from the Underworld, is that clear?"

Finn nodded with determination "I'll do my best dad, I swear!"

"That's my boy!" the dog replied recovering his peaceful smile "Pay attention, there are five rivers running across the Underworld, you have already seen two of them; the river of Forgetfulness where my Jakey messed it up by drinking from it, and the river of Lamentation where you were smooching that hot girlfriend of yours, hehe!" Finn's whole face turned awfully red. "Haha, what did I tell you? You're my boy; anyway… the other three rivers left are the river of Sorrow, the river of Fire and the river of Hate. The masked man is making his way towards the last one where the gates of the Underworld are located, catch up with him and stop him from entering the world of the living!"

"Got it!" the young hero said grabbing his sword "How do I get there?"

"I'll sent you to the Valley of restless souls where you'll find the river of Sorrow, I'm you sure that you can make by yourself from there, now step back, I'm going to use the teleporting spell!"

"Good luck son, take care of yourself!" Margaret said waving good-bye.

"Margaret, the boy is already dead…" her husband replied pocking her arm.

"Yeah but he has to be careful anyway, don't you think?"

Joshua sighed and then prepared to cast the spell "Oh, I almost forgot!" he remembered taking something out of his invisible pixie pant's pocket "You'll need this if you want to cross the river!" he said tossing a golden coin towards his son "Don't lose it, okay?"

"Don't worry dad, I'll find that guy and kick his butt, I promise!" Finn replied smiling at him.

"I know you will, Finn…" Joshua said stretching his hands forward "Razzmafu!" And by saying this, Finn disappeared in a cloud of yellow smoke before his parent's eyes. "I'm so proud of you son…we'll find the way to bring you back to life... I promise."

* * *

**Author notes:**

I will just bother you a second to thank you for the reviews, it's nice to know that you are enjoying the story so thanks!

Oh! and Jake's song was "Nights in white satin" by The Moody Blues...from 1967, Glob! it really is a good ol' classic for the Ooocians!


	22. How to save a life!

Tale 22: Something wicked this way comes! Part II: How to save a life!

Rocks and dirt were being thrown into the air as Jake's body sank deeper and deeper into the ground. His paws moved quickly removing the soil that blocked his way. The magic dog had been digging desperately for two hours hoping to find the end of the large invisible barrier that kept him apart from his brother. To pass under it was a clever idea but each time he tried to go through instead of going down his paws bumped into the wall forcing him to keep digging. How many meters had he traveled underground and how many were left of the cursed barrier? It was impossible to tell. But that didn't matter. Jake will keep on digging until he finds the way of going through the wall, then his friends would use his tunnel to reach him and they'll search for Finn together.

Princess Bubblegum peeked into the hole trying to avoid the flying dirt that was coming out of it and wondered if Jake's plan would work. She shook her head angrily. Of course it had to work. It will work.

"Can't you hit harder? Darn you are so weak!" The Vampire Queen shouted impatiently.

"I'm doing what I can! What about you? I don't see you breaking through it either!" the legendary hero replied, his voice sounded exhausted.

Bubblegum sighed listening at them argue, it had been like that since Finn left. Marceline and Billy decided to join their forces and attack the barrier by hitting one point at the same time. They haven't succeeded of course, and their strength was now comparable to her's.

Nobody had the chance to get a proper rest and some apples with pieces of cake weren't exactly the most nutritive food in the world. The Ice King and Susan were prove of it. The old wizard was lying on the ground with his arms extended over it.

He was staring at the black starless sky caught in deep thought…or probably just sleeping with his eyes open, in any case, the pink princess couldn't get mad at him. She saw him using his best attacks on the barrier when they were trying to rescue Finn and that made her feel some sort gratitude towards the blue crazy man.

Susan Strong was sitting in front of the barrier, watching Marceline and Billy struggle to break it down. Bubblegum noticed that the blonde woman was still panting and her face was covered with sweat. If Billy and Marcy's energy level was now relatively close her own, the candy ruler was not afraid of predicting that Susan's was at zero. It didn't matter how strong she could be, Sue was just a human or hyooman, which meant that even if she wished to help them, she'll have to stop fighting and catch some breath otherwise she'd be useless.

Bubblegum chuckled lowering her gaze. Talking about being useless, what have she done to aid her friends during this whole situation? The answer was simple. Nothing. But what could she do? She wasn't strong, she didn't carry any sort of magical weapon that could actually help them now and she lacked of special abilities. Yes, she was some kind of genius but then again, how good can that be if she couldn't figure out how to jump over that barrier, go under it or pass through it? She took out the pink cosmic sphere from her pocket; the princess knew that it had teleporting powers but after Marceline confessed that when she used it against the Vampire King she didn't really have any idea of what she was doing and just hoped for a miracle, the question returned to haunt the princess's mind.

"Is that how this thing works? Bubblegum whispered staring at it "Hoping for a miracle stimulates its magic power? She frowned and tossed it at the ground angrily "Then why isn't it working? Why aren't you taking us to Finn, huh?"

The princess lowered her shoulders and tried to relax, getting angry was useless too. She would only waste the little energy she had left. Bonnibel turned her head and stared at the young fire elemental sitting over a rock.

Flame Princess's eyes were fixed on the ground. Just like Susan, she needed to rest if she wanted to join Marceline and Billy. She had stopped crying by now, as she had declared a few hours ago, crying was the stupidest thing a person could do. The fiery princess would only shed tears in moments of great pain and they wouldn't last longer than twenty minutes before she turned her pain into other kind of feelings.

Princess Bubblegum remembered how amazed she was when she saw Flame P returning from the Fire Kingdom after her father was killed. Because she was a thirteen-year-old, Bubblegum expected her to cry bitterly all the time but she didn't. All she did was to remain in silence and then leave on her own with a cold stare that if you ask her, was too cold for a fire elemental.

Now the pink candy princess could tell that Flame P had turned her pain into fear, probably because she was too weak to get angry and rampage against the world. Without power or energy to create combustion a fire being becomes defenseless and they are known to have almost never experienced that feeling, which was probably part of the reasons why Flame Princess was afraid.

Secondly, and perhaps the most obvious reason for the fire girl to be scared was that she had no idea of what could have happened to Finn. She had a concerned look on her face; her distress towards him was clearly visible and even if she rejected them, tears would gather in her eyes every now and then.

Bubblegum lifted the pink cosmic weapon and put it inside her purse, and then she walked to where the other princess was.

"Maybe it's time for me do to something useful…" she whispered to herself as she got closer to Flame Princess. "Hey…Flame P, you okay?" There was no response from the fire elemental. Princess Bubblegum chuckled sitting next to her. "Of course I understand if you start holding a grudge against me like Marceline. Guess nobody is that perfect to be loved by everyone but…I just want you to know I'm sorry…about earlier…I was a little bit mean to you…"

/

"A little bit?" the Lumpy Space Princess shouted in disbelief "You were all bitchy and stuff!"

"Shhh! L.S.P!"

"What? Everybody knows it's true!" she replied in annoyance.

"Then you don't need to say it!" the whole crowd yelled back at her.

/

"Okay, okay…I was really mean to you" Princess Bubblegum corrected shaking her head "I shouldn't have been so harsh with you, I mean it's not your fault to be-…"

"Do you think Finn's okay?" the Flame Princess asked cutting Bubblegum's words.

The candy princess sighed taking that question as a "yeah sure, I understand you're sorry and accept your apology!" and placed her hand on Flame P's shoulder trying to process a proper answer. She knew that Finn was strong and tolerant towards pain but he was just a boy, Bubblegum didn't know how much he could last all by his own with those severe injuries. "Finn…" she began reluctantly "I know he's never going to give in so easily…he's a hero and heroes…are not supposed to die."

"Not in the fairy tales that my father used to read me…" FP replied staring at her sternly.

"A-all right…then…" Bubblegum dropped her head "I don't really know what to say, look I don't want you to worry! I wish I could just… Say that everything's going to fine but that would be a lie, okay? I'm sorry, I don't know what's going to happen, I'm totally out of my element!"

Flame P blinked in confusion "Hey…I wasn't asking you for the truth, I know things are bad…maybe I was just hoping to hear something different from you so stop freaking out."

Bonnibel smiled nervously "Oh…sure…" she turned her head away feeling stupid. Princess Bubblegum was like that. She was usually smart, distinguished and kind but when things escaped from her control, she had the tendency of freaking out and acting out of herself.

Still feeling the urge to aid her teammate in some way, Bubblegum opened her purse and took out an almost empty bottle and showed it to the fiery girl.

"What are you going to do with that?" FP asked staring at her with curiosity.

"I'm not quite sure about the fire elemental's medical state or physical composition but I can tell that you're hurt and your hands are bleeding"

"No, I don't feel any pain…" Flame P replied and tried to clench her fists but intolerable wave of pain ran from her fingers to her arms "It didn't hurt that much earlier…" she complained.

Princess Bubblegum chuckled "It didn't cause you were full of adrenaline at that moment, now that you've settled down a bit the pain will start torturing you." She grabbed her left hand carefully "Oh my!" Bubblegum gasped feeling the crackling sensation coming from under FP's skin "Crepitus, this clearly indicates bone fracture…Flame P you literally broke your knuckles trying to pierce through the barrier, I can't believe your nerve!" the pink princess laid the girl's hand on her lap an opened the bottle "You fire elementals are really something! I remember a time when Flambo hit the palace's gate with his-…"

"Those are cyclop's tears?" the red haired girl asked not paying attention to Bubblegum's story.

"Yeah…four or six drops, that's all we have left but it'll be enough to heal these kind of minor fractures, hold still!" Flame P removed her hand from the candy princess's reach "What are you doing? That must have been awfully painful, stop playing brave and give me your hand!"

"We should keep those… For Finn…"

The other princess's features softened "Flame P…we don't know where is he now, sure, he's needing them more than you but we can't help it from here, can we?" she grabbed her wrist dropped two magic tears on her broken fingers "We should only concern about the things that we can fix and not about those that are out of our reach, otherwise we'll be wasting our time and energy in vain."

A relieving feeling was soon spread through the flame princess's hand reconstructing bone, flesh and muscle tissue effectively. Bubblegum proceeded to repeat the process on her other hand emptying the glass vessel's content.

"There you go!" Princess Bubblegum said letting go of Flame P "Are you feeling any better now?"

The red haired girl stared at her calmly and then turned her head "Not really…"

"Glob…" Bubblegum replied quietly "I wish I could have done more…"

"Hey…it's not your fault…" the flame princess said embracing Bonnibel with a sudden movement "but thanks for trying…"

The charismatic leader of the Candy Kingdom froze, which is ironical if you consider that a fire elemental was hugging her. She wasn't expecting that reaction from Flame P, Bubblegum still thought that maybe she was still mad at her but it seemed that she wasn't. Now she wondered how, according to Jake, the Flame King could have considered that his own daughter was evil. Well maybe for the fire elemental's strange customs that was something to be proud of, but still…. the Flame Princess? Evil? Bonnibel couldn't see how that was possible.

Maybe the Flame King just got too scared of his daughter's untamable power and locked her up waiting for someone that could handle her to appear, not really taking the time to talk to her and get know her better. Damn, no wonder she had anger issues.

Princess Bubblegum smiled returning the hug "No, thank you."

/

The hellhound ran jumping swiftly from rock to rock in order to cross the river of Fire avoiding the deadly flames with ease. Hanging from its bloodstained muzzle Finn's white bear hat was being carried as prove of the hound's accomplished task. In the distance a tall man using a dirty black robe waited for his servant patiently. Ash was waiting with him as well; the undead wizard leaned his back against a rocky wall and folded his arms while he followed the dog's moving silhouette getting closer to them.

With one last skillful hop the black canine arrived to its master's side dropping the hat at his feet. The man crouched and picked it up; the crimson stains painting the fabric were reflected on the silver mask, which resembled an inexpressive human face. "Well done Kerberus…" he said patting the beast's head.

"What is it?" Ash asked walking towards him "Did your pet fetch you a toy or what?"

The man chuckled "Better…" he stood up and tossed Finn's hat at the punk "Do you recognize it?"

Ash quickly stretched the cloth to figure out what was his master talking about "This!" he gasped realizing it was Finn's awesome hat "I-it's that brat's stupid hat! How?" the white haired wizard's shaky fingers touched the splashed blood covering it "Y-you…you killed him?"

"Kerberus did a fine job, without that supposed hero the others will soon crumble making things easier for us… It's just a matter of time before they realize he's dead and drown in their own misery!" he laughed with pleasure "And once I cross the Gates of the Underworld, I'll start gathering the remaining cosmic weapons while you steal the rest from their cold dead hands!"

Ash made a few steps backwards tightening his grip on the hat. He still couldn't believe that Finn was dead, it wasn't that he cared about him but he was frightened by the way in which things happened. He didn't have trouble with the idea of getting rid of the mortals that joined Marceline in that foolish quest until he saw Finn's blood on his greyish hands. Ash gulped nervously placing the hat inside his pocket.

"A-awesome…dude…." He said trying to hide his fear "Let's get out of here…"

The masked man nodded and began to walk ahead of him. Inside Ash's mind the fear kept growing, not really for him but for what could happen to…Marceline. Yeah he still cared about her, even after she almost killed his descendants with that hell of a kick in his…err… yeah, there. And if that was true then why did he keep acting like a jerk with her? Easy, because he was too stupid to realize that he still had feelings for that radical dame and he also needed his sandwiches at 8pm. That was his problem; he was a moron…a moron who dragged himself along with the eight heroes-to-be into a mess of colossal proportions.

/

Finn appeared surrounded by the yellow smoke of his father's spell "Where the flip am I?" he said coughing and trying to blow the yellow puffs away of his face. He was standing on a gloomy place covered by purple mist that made it hard to see anything that wasn't close enough for him to be able to touch it by just stretching his arms forward.

"Ugh… helloooo!" the human boy shouted surrounding his mouth with his hands to make his voice louder "Mr. masked man? Come heeeereee, I'm supposed to kick your butt!"

There was of course, no answer, just the word butt echoing in the distance making him giggle. Finn gave up shouting and began to walk carefully; Joshua had told him that he had to cross three rivers to find the Gates of the Underworld, which meant that the river of Sorrow must be close and he didn't want to fall inside it without warning. Using the tip of the family sword as a blind man would use his cane, Finn made his way through the thick fog.

"What a quiet place! Don't you think so Jake? … Jake?" the young hero sighed with sadness "That's right you're not here…I'm dead and you bro…you are alive, just like Peebles, Suzie, Marcy or Flame P…" he stopped his pace abruptly "Does this means that…I won't be able to see you again?" Finn fell on his knees realizing what being dead meant, "B-but it's not fair! …No more breakfasts with Jake… no more jamming with Marcy… No more weird experiments with PB…No more hanging with Flame P!" the boy began to sob "What the math Glob? She and I were supposed to be together! How could you do this to me? You put her on my way only to tear us apart? Does it make you happy to see me suffer, huh? Well for me you can go to the Nightosphere, yeah, you and your stupid Cosmic owl!"

Finn wanted to hit the ground angrily but when his fists crashed down frozen violet water was splashed into his face making him fall on his back. If he had a heart or even a body, it would have jumped out of his chest. Finn shook his head trying to dry his long wet mane. Man what could be worst than an unexpected splash of cold water right over your face? And how the heck could he have felt that if he had no body?

"All right!" he said annoyed "I suppose that I've found the river of Sorrow, now what?" Still on his knees the hero raised his head searching for an answer.

The strange little light shined dimly in the darkness not really answering any of his questions; instead it began to move in circles getting closer to him. For Finn it wasn't a star anymore, it was like a firefly dancing playfully around him and reliving some of his anger.

"Hey! Are you a firefly or a fairy?" he asked following it with his eyes while it circled in front of his face. The little glowing sphere flew across the river and then returned to him. "You want me to cross the river?" The light flew over the water replying to his question. "Oookay…so…I'd better get swimming…" Finn whispered walking into the clear purple stream.

When the water covered his neck the young hero started to use his arms and legs to move faster. Everything was going fine until he felt something pulling his leg, Finn kicked the water and continued swimming but once again he felt something pulling his foot. "What the?" he muttered turning his head. A high-pitched squeal escaped from his lips when he saw a bunch of rotten arms rising from the depths of the river to grab his spiritual body. "Oh Glob, oh Glob! I'm sorry about earlier!" he yelled struggling to free himself from their grasps. The river was full of them; he had no choice but to get back to the edge.

Back on the ground the poor teenager panted heavily with his head hung down while trying to recover from the shock of almost being drowned in river inhabited by dead people. But something didn't make sense, if he was dead then, why was he afraid of dying?

"All right…" Finn panted blowing his golden locks away of his face "Swimming was a terrible idea…but it's not like if I had any other choice, right?" He sat and scanned the area with his gaze "There most be a way, like a trick or a magic password to make a bridge appear, I don't know!"

The voice of his father flashed into his mind "_Oh, I almost forgot! You'll need this if you want to cross the river!"_

"The coin!" Finn shouted slapping his forehead "The golden coin that Dad gave me, yeah! That must be the answer!" he said introducing his hand into his pocket.

The human boy walked to edge holding the coin and stared at the river "Okay, how does this work? Like a wishing well or something? Should I toss it?" A dead arm rose from the water forcing him to fall to roll on his back abruptly "M-maybe not…" Finn whispered nervously "Should I… pray or wish upon it?"

The idea sounded ridiculous but he didn't know what else to do. The human boy sighed and kneeled down placing the coin on the ground, then he put his hands together and lowered his head closing his blue eyes "Okay magic coin or whatever you are, I need you to help me cross this river please!"

Silence…

Finn shook his head and tried again, this time talking in a more polite way "Oh golden coin, I Finn the Human humbly ask you to help me reach the other edge!"

Silence…

He snorted impatiently and grabbed it with a quick movement "I command you to get me through the river of Sorrow!"

Silence…

The young hero rubbed his face in desperation and began to shout all the magic words he knew "ABRACADABRA!" "HOCUS POCUS!"

Nothing happened.

"SIM SALA BIM!" the boy yelled stomping the ground "ALAKAZAM!"

He just felt stupider with each magic phrase he could come up with.

"Bibbidi-bobbidy-boo!" Finn sang getting no results and then tried pointing the river with the coin while faking a stern expression "Open Sesame!"

Again…nothing happened.

"SHAZAM!" he yelled still believing that one of his amateur spells could work "Okay coin, you are leaving me no choice!" Finn declared staring at the shinning piece of gold that Joshua gave him "You are forcing me to use the most powerful magic word I know, it has been passed down from generation to generation in every family, I'm warning you of it's incredible power so don't complain later if you get scared! Are you ready? Here goes!" "PLEASE!"

"…"

Nothing…

Finn pulled his hair angrily and began to curse the gods again kicking dirt and jumping around until he gave up and collapsed on the ground "I don't get it…" he whispered holding the coin over his face "Mom always said that _please _was the most powerful magic word we could use… the Underworld sucks!"

"You are kidding me, right?" A dull voice mocked him from within the purple fog.

Finn quickly got up searching for the source of that voice. A tall skinny figure covered with a black hood paddled the waters softly getting closer to the edge. When Finn saw the boat he began to run in circles waving his arms joyfully "I summoned a boat!"

"No, you didn't…" the dead ferryman replied stopping the ebony ship near the young hero "If you wish to get to the other side of my river, you must offer a payment!"

Finn blinked a couple of times in confusion and pulled out his pockets "But I don't have any money!" he complained.

The skeleton stared at him sternly and stretched his arm to point the golden coin "Give me the gold and I'll take you to the other side…"

"The gold?" the human boy wondered, "Oh, you mean this coin! Right?" the ferryman nodded and Finn tossed the token at him.

"Now, board the ship…" the ferryman ordered.

"Just like that?" Finn asked jumping into the boat "Rhombus!"

/

The shining red axe-bass was dropped onto the ground, her pale hands shivered slightly as she stared at them panting heavily. "We are not getting anywhere with this…" Marceline whispered falling on her back "I don't want to make you worry guys but this whole time I've been perceiving Finn's blood scent moving away…"

"He's advancing, that's good!" the Ice King replied lying on the ground as well "Why would that make us worried?"

"Cause I can still sense it at the same point where I last perceived it was…he's not getting any father, and that makes me think that maybe…well, he could have-…"

"Marceline!" Princess Bubblegum shouted from the rock where she was sitting with Flame Princess "that's the last thing we need to hear!" the princess frowned wanting to cover Flame P's ears but she slapped her hands away and slid in a trail of fire towards the vampire's side.

"Tell me…" Flame Princess said staring at the Vampire Queen once her body took a humanoid form again and crouched to look into Marceline's eyes "Do you think Finn's…dead?"

"I'd like not to and I guess y'all think the same." The vampire replied with an unresponsive expression "I'm just keeping you informed about his status, that's all…" she turned her face away trying to avoid the fire elemental's gaze "It's impossible to break through that barrier, I doubt that Jake had succeeded as well…"

"You have…other idea?" the hyooman inquired calling the gang's attention to the other side of the bony wasteland.

"As a matter of fact yes, I do." Marceline replied throwing her legs backwards and then forward to jump off the ground swiftly "I'm going back to Death's light castle and ask him what the hell's going on. He's the ruler of this land so that bone sack must know something about this!"

"What?" the Ice King yelled standing up too "All the way back there? No thanks!"

"Yeah girl!" Jake replied stretching his head out of the hole "I know I'm getting close, I can feel it somehow, just give me ten more minutes please!"

"Listen I'm not asking you to come with me, stay if that's what you want!" the Vampire Queen growled picking up her blade from the ground "I want answers and I want them now so, see ya then!"

"Wait Marceline!" Bubblegum yelled when the vampire was about to fly away.

"What is it Bonnibel?" she replied turning around with a bothered look on her face.

"T-take me with you!" the candy princess answered making the gang gasp with curiosity "I want to be of help, maybe I can find a way to make him talk if he doesn't wanna!"

"Be of help you say? You'd be more of a burden to me, but if you say so…" Marceline lowered her floating height and extended her arm towards the princess "take my hand then!" Princess Bubblegum did as said and in a few seconds the vampire took her into the air with a quick movement "Hold on tight! This won't be a Sunday stroll!"

"R-right!" she replied embracing the queen's shoulders and then stared at her teammates on the ground "We'll be back soon guys, keep trying to get through that barrier okay?"

"Don't worry princess, I'm not gonna give up, I swear!" the yellow dog shouted from his underground tunnel.

"Wenk!"

"Gunter, what the plum are you doing in here?" Jake asked staring at the penguin in confusion.

"Wenk!"

"Oh…you fell…" he replied shrinking so the two of them would fit in the tunnel "Help me dig then!"

"Ready Bonnibel?" Marceline asked turning her head to glance at her. Bubblegum nodded tightening her grip on the vampire's shoulders "Fine, here we go!" And with that the two girls soared the black Underworld skies racing back to the Death's light castle.

/

Finn sat on the small bench and peeked out of the boat to stare at the crying corpses raising their arms to drag him with them from under the violet river waters "What are they?" he asked still looking at them.

"Restless souls that were sent into the Underworld, they were condemned to drown in this river eternally as a punishment for their actions in the world of the living…" the dead ferryman answered paddling slowly.

"They look sad…" the young hero replied sighing deeply "Isn't there anything they can do to save themselves?"

"Do not pity them…" the hooded skeleton said with his grim voice "That's what they deserve… stay away from the border or they'll try to drag you down…"

"Yeah, I know…" Finn raised his gaze towards the ferryman "What about you? What's your story, huh?" He was feeling bored because of the slow ride through the fog and his company wasn't very expressive so he thought that a little talk would help him pass the time.

The skeleton grunted something and then began to speak "I…am Kcharon, my curse is to carry the newly deceased's souls across the river of Sorrow and into the depths of the Underworld…"

"Oh…" Finn replied leaning his face on his fist "I could have guessed that…" he laughed, "Say, what if didn't have the coin? Would you have still helped me?"

"I…do not help anyone…" Kcharon groaned "You must pay a coin for a ride otherwise your soul will have to wander these shores for one hundred years…"

"W-wait! That means…" Finn gasped placing his hands over his face "If I want to go back I'll have to pay you again? But Dad just gave me one coin!"

The dead ferryman chuckled evilly "Then…enjoy your hundred years of isolation on this side of the river…" the black boat sank on the edge's sand "Get out of my ship… We have arrived."

The ex-human boy jumped out and stared at Kcharon's boat sailing away before it disappeared inside the purple mist "…thanks?" he whispered scratching his hair in confusion "Okay, fairy or whatever you are, I'm on the other side! Now what?"

The small light guided him down a desolated rocky road. Everything was in silence; there was no wind or ghosts. Finn gulped feeling the cold. That was the only thing he could feel since he died, cold… He wondered if Marceline felt this chilly sensation all the time too, her skin was always cool, he could tell because of the times he had entered in contact with her but maybe after a thousand years of "unliving" one gets used to it.

Finn tried rubbing his forearms with his hands missing Jake's cozy fur again or Flame Princess's warm touch…her hot lava skin, those fervent golden eyes piercing intensely through his blue ones, her reddish hair flowing wildly… Just thinking of her blistering arms wrapping around his body, her ardent lips brushing his-… Finn shook his head trying to get rid of the teenager thoughts that were gathering in his mind filling his transparent stomach with a strange tickling sensation and coloring his pale cheeks with a bloodless red. "Focus idiot, focus!" he scolded himself angrily but that kind of thoughts were hard to repel. "What's wrong with you Finn? Show some respect towards her!" the poor young hero kept yelling sometimes drifting back into that strange new world that he had just discovered and then slapping his ghastly face for allowing himself to think of the fiery girl in "not-righteous" ways. Where was Jake to tell him that he was going through something natural, that it was all part of growing up? The young hero was dealing with emotions that he didn't know and he had to do it alone. The cold melted away almost instantly and only because he got fired up, maybe he was the passionate one?

The white glowing sphere started to fly over his face violently probably calling his attention. The wandering human soul slapped its face one last time before regaining control and focusing on what really mattered at the moment "Okay Finn, you can do this! Just follow that flashing ball and you'll find your way out of this mess…probably…"

"_Double, double toil and trouble;  
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble…" _An unknown female voice sang in the distance.

"Huh?" the ex-human boy gasped stopping his pace "It comes from that cavern!" he shouted running towards the caves that seemed to have been perforated in the grayish stones that sculpted the Valley of restless souls.

"_Fillet of a fenny snake,  
In the cauldron boil and bake;  
Eye of newt and toe of frog,  
Wool of bat and tongue of dog…"_

"This way!" Finn said turning on a corner at high speed only to suddenly change his mind running backwards and almost tripping with a skull "No, this one!"

"_Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting,  
Lizard's leg and howlet's wing,  
For a charm of powerful trouble,  
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble…"_

The small light that guided his way seemed to respond to the strange chants echoing within the cavern's walls and vanished from his sight flying through one of them "Hey where are you going? I can't follow you through the walls!" his feet stopped running abruptly "Wait a minute…I'm dead now…I can go through the walls!" Finn laughed experiencing his first ghost-trick.

"_And now about the cauldron sing,  
Live elves and fairies in a ring  
Enchanting all that you put in…"_

"Hahaha! Yeah!" ghost Finn exclaimed running through the cavern's rocky structures happily "This is mathematical, being a ghost is the best!"

He was doing it great until his new phantom powers betrayed him stamping his face against what seemed to be a stone door. "What the fudge?" the boy complained jumping back on his feet after collapsing on the ground. "Why couldn't I…?" the fairy light bounced on the strange painted boulder indicating him to knock on it like he would on a regular door. "Oh…like this?" Finn asked hitting the stone softly with his knuckles.

"_By the pricking of my thumbs,  
Something wicked this way comes! _

_Open, locks!_

_Whoever knocks!" _The voice sang from behind the door erasing the weird paintings that were decorating it.

The ex-human boy felt like if he could push it easily if he tried and he did, revealing a secret path that went even deeper into the cave.

When Finn stepped in the room his eyes opened widely staring at an old woman's head floating inside a crystal ball "_Double, double toil and trouble;  
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble…" _she sang while lots of strange stuff like jars, papers and animal body parts danced around her and then flew inside a big cauldron placed over a chimney's fire.

"Uhh…hi?" he whispered interrupting her ritual. The curl-haired woman aimed her stern gaze at him, closed the door behind his back and pulled magically a chair towards his butt to make him sit at her table.

"Umm…" she whispered squinting her eyes "I foretold that something wicked was coming _this _way but… are you wicked?"

Finn blinked a couple of times in confusion before he could form an answer on his mind "Wicked? Nah. I'm super good!"

"Super good?" she replied looking astonished and then regained her serious stare "super stupid I'd say…"

"Hey! Why are you? I'm not _that _stupid!" he shouted back.

"Tell me spirit, why are some of your teeth missing?" the crystal ball asked twisting his mind with confusion.

"Why do I? Well cause I ugh…bit rocks and trees?" he answered scratching his hair.

The woman laughed, "See, you are stupid! Now get out of my sight, I'm waiting for someone important…a hero!"

Finn frowned and pointed himself with his thumb "In case you didn't know grandma, I am a hero!" his voice sounded proud and eager but this just made the woman laugh even harder.

"You?" she spoke between laughs "A hero? Please, I mean just look at you boy; first of all you need a haircut. A hero is a gentleman and therefore he has to look like one, secondly how strong can you be with those skinny arms and legs? And last, you're the ugliest lad I've seen in the last two centuries! No princess is ever going to fall in love with you, I guarantee."

"Ha!" this time it was Finn's turn to laugh "Look who's talking, old hag! And for your information princesses like me a lot, in fact my girlfriend is a princess! What do you think now, huh?"

"I think that girls these days have a terrible taste, either that or your girlfriend is blind!" she mocked him "and how can you be a hero if you're dead? It just doesn't make any sense to me…"

"Hey, I don't know what's your problem with me but I-…wait, what did you say?" the young hero asked worriedly "What if I'm dead? How's that supposed to-…"

"Easy, a hero fights to bring peace and justice to the world and once he dies, whatever happens in the Earth is not his responsibility anymore, the living have to take care of themselves, you shouldn't be trying to help them!" the crystal ball replied.

"I can't do that…" Finn whispered lowering his head "I have to get to the Gates of the Underworld and fast, why the math am I losing my time here? Better get moving, where is that tiny light that I was following a few moments ago?" he asked looking around.

The woman blinked in surprise "Y-you were following my sign? Then you must be the person I have been waiting for after all!" she chuckled "Fate plays such dirty tricks on our minds, I was about to kick out my only hope of returning home!"

"You created that firefly? You brought me here!" Finn shouted hitting her crystal ball with his finger.

"Stop it! Will you?" she yelled angrily "I have to make sure this isn't some kind of trap so keep quiet while I summon the know-it-all spirit's wisdom!"

She closed her eyes and a cabinet on Finn's right opened letting out a card deck that was now floating over him while shuffling itself "Whoa! Are we going to play poker? Cause I'm really good!"

"Close your mouth kid, this isn't one of those vulgar games, this is my Tarot deck! I want to know more about you so do what I say!" the cards landed on the table "Take nine and place them in front of you!"

Finn obeyed reluctantly grabbing the nine cards and observing carefully the strange pictures on them, he wondered what was this all about. The woman leaned her face against the crystal while studying the young hero's fate.

"Hmmm… it seems that you're not just any goofball after all, the cards are telling me that you carry a great responsibility on your shoulders…yes…you'll be part of something great and terrible at the same time, what I don't understand is… you shouldn't be dead!"

"Yeah, I know!" The boy gasped annoyingly "But Dad said that it was necessary so I could kick the masked man's butt!"

"You are going after the masked man?" she shouted in astonishment "Then its true…you are destined to become a hero…" the woman began to read the cards again while she spoke "Listen boy, I am Madam Leotte, master of all that's forbidden and called from beyond!"

Finn almost fell from his chair "L-Leotte you say? You're Mr. Brice's wife, right? Glob I can't believe I found you! He'll get so happy when he-

"You've met my husband too?" she replied not believing his words "You are full of surprises, aren't you?" Finn nodded joyfully "Yes everything's clear to me now… the cards say that you are one of a kind, an eager spirit crying for justice, your heart was charmed by the aggressiveness of fire… You lost your mortality fighting the infernal beast and now you must hunt the hunter in order to protect those who are dear to you…"

"Slamacow! Did you figure all that out just by looking at those pictures? Amazing!"

"I'm wonderful, I know hehe…" Leotte replied proudly "I made you place three different cards in three different rows, now you may think it was something that you did randomly but in reality you were showing me your past, present and future. The first row is past, the second present and the last is your future…"

"And what does my future say? Will I get back to life? Will I defeat the Lich? Will I grow taller? Will I get stronger? Will I marry Flame Princess? Will I have a son or a daughter? Will I be Jake's best friend forever? Will I get a new sword for my next birthday? Will I become even awesomer?" A thousand questions began to flow within his mouth and he had no problem in spitting them out.

"Will I? Will I? Will I?" Madame Leotte repeated imitating his voice "Will you ever shut up? You are giving me a headache and that's pretty annoying if you take in consideration that I am just a floating head!" She scolded him angrily. "I can't answer everything, that's not how it works!"

"And how does it work?" Finn asked with curiosity causing her to laugh.

"It's too complicated for an uneducated monkey like you…" the woman chuckled "Just leave it like that! Now fulfill your destiny ex-hero and take me to my beloved haunted manor, I wish to see my husband!"

"Oh no!" Finn gasped faking surprise "I'm pretty sure that's not my destiny, you just want me to carry you all the way back to the amusement park!"

"What else? You don't have any other businesses to attend now that you are dead…" she replied softly "If you don't have a place to spent the rest of eternity I'll be more than happy of letting you become the ghost number six hundred haunting my mansion! What do you say, huh?"

Finn sighed rubbing his forehead "Look, I already told you. I need to reach the river of Hate before the masked man, stop him from escaping to the world of the living, retrieve the cosmic radar and then find a way to get back to life!"

"Stupid boy! How can you be so stubborn? You were killed, you're dead, and that's all!" Madame Leotte said harshly "Who the heck gave you that supposed mission, huh?

"My dad, Joshua!" the young hero yelled back "I don't understand what's happening, I didn't want to die! Death was going to sent me to Glob World but dad found a way to prevent it and gave me this task, now I'm going to complete it!"

"Joshua? That old dog! He's always doing what he wants, not respecting the laws of Death!" she closed her eyes and shook her head "Very well, go on. But I really need your help to get back home so…"

"No prob! I promised Vincent to bring you back with us!" Finn replied jumping from his chair excitedly.

"Hey! Sit down and listen! It's not that easy!" Leotte's expression turned serious again "I'm the masked man's prisoner, centuries ago he murdered me and stole my lifeless head to have control over my unnatural powers. He's been using me to follow you and he learned about the cosmic weapons and that bubblegum princess's radar. I have a curse, I won't be able to leave the Underworld unless a hero finds my head and sets me free." She chuckled slightly "That was the fate that I was trying to impose to you…"

"Well let's do it, then!" the ex-human boy said happily "We'll have to chase that guy anyway!"

"Y-you are really willing to help me? Even after I called you uneducated stupid monkey?" Leotte asked opening her brown eyes widely. Finn nodded with a smile. "Now I see… you're ugly but you're nice, that's why girls like you…"

"Hey! I'm not ugly! Anybody thinks I'm ugly?"

"Whatever! Let's go back to the part where you were helping me, do you remember what I was chanting when you entered?"

"Yeah…something weird, what was that?" Finn sat on the chair again.

"Oh, it was written eons ago! Since you met my husband I must assume that you know about our love for ancient literature!" Madame Leotte answered cheerfully stretching the wrinkles on her face with a smile.

"Not again…" Finn whispered remembering the complicated phrases that Vincent Brice quoted during their "ghostly tour."

"I prefer English literature in contrast with him, I believe that there's magic in Shakespeare's works. This chant for example, comes from "The tragedy of Macbeth" and is sung by three witches. Now, I wanted to use it to boost the power of my warping spell but I can't remember a few lines. Would you read them for me?"

"Yeah, sure!" the boy whispered turning around to face her messy and dusty bookshelves "This one?" Finn asked showing her and old brown book.

"Right, right!" she replied nodding eagerly "Now let me see, I think it was act three, no…four? Yes act four! Scene…ugh…line forty…Darn! I can't remember that either! Sorry boy but it'll be better if you read me the whole book from the start."

Finn's jaw dropped "The whole book?" he shouted in astonishment and then shook his head while throwing the book away.

The young hero stood up and grabbed the crystal ball abruptly "W-what are you doing? Put me down! I hate to be carried, it gives me nausea!" Madame Leotte screamed while Finn ran outside the cavern.

"I'm sorry!" he apologized running through the rocky walls "But I don't have time to waste reading about some McDonald's guy!"

"IT'S MACBETH!"

"Pufft, whatever!" the boy replied.

/

"Keep it up Gunter!" Jake panted digging as fast as he could "We are going to make it, I know!"

"_Jake…"_

"Don't start complaining now! C'mon!" the yellow dog replied too focused on his task to notice that the penguin couldn't talk.

"_Stop…Jake…listen…"_

"Gunter! Keep digging!" he growled throwing the dirt behind.

"Wenk?"

"_Jake…SON! Listen to me!"_

That voice, Jake knew that voice. It was the same voice that used to tell him about the great deeds of mysterious heroes, the same that taught him to be strong and rude when necessary. It was the voice of his father.

The yellow dog froze and the dirt fell over him "D-dad? Is that you?"

"_Hehe, yeah! How you doing son? I'm speaking to you from Glob World."_ Joshua replied inside Jake's mind. "_Listen, I've got something important to tell you but promise me that you won't freak out otherwise we won't be able to solve this situation, is that clear?"_

"I-I'll try not to…what's going on?" Jake asked nervously. His father's tone of voice was very serious and this meant that something bad had happened.

"_I'll go straight to the point! Jake, Finn is dead." _

Jake's heart broke into a million pieces "Finn…WHAT?"

/

"Om mani padme hum… Om mani padme hum… Om mani padme hum…" Death whispered the mantra sitting in the middle of his Zen garden with his legs crossed and his hands resting on his knees. An incense burner filled the air with a sweet and spicy aroma while he breathed it slowly and deeply. "Om mani padme hum… Om mani pad-…"

"DEATH!" someone screeched breaking through his crystal roof and landed in front of him hitting the greenish sand with a pair of red leather boots.

The skeleton growled angrily shaking the sand off his gardener suit "Vampire Queen! There's no way I'm going to forgive you for entering my domains like that!"

"Shut it creep!" Marceline replied pointing his face. Bubblegum let her self go the vampire's shoulders and faced Death by her side.

"Something weird is going on and we need an explanation!" the candy Princess demanded harshly "There's a magic barrier blocking our way in the middle of the Land of the Dead, how can we dispel it?"

"Hmm… a magic barrier…that's odd I never cast a barrier!" Death began "But if you are seeking for the human boy on the other side, you can start forgetting about him!"

Marceline felt the anger building inside her body and charged towards the skeleton lifting him by his shirt with both hands "What the hell does that mean?" she yelled staring at him furiously.

"He didn't make it, his soul is mine now!" Death laughed staring at her as well.

"His soul is…" Princess Bubblegum whispered trying to understand what that meant "W-what?"

"What…what happened to Finn? Explain yourself or I-…!" the Vampire Queen demanded before being harshly interrupted.

"Or what? You'll kill Death?" He laughed, "Finn the human is dead…" the skeleton repeated, "I think I'm being clear enough!"

Marceline's grasp loosened letting him fall. Finn was dead? She never thought she'd hear those words at least not that soon. Princess Bubblegum's face lost every trace of emotion. Her hero…gone? How could that even be possible?

"Y-you are lying…" the pink haired girl replied feeling the tears gather in her eyes "Finn can't be…"

"Finn **is**! If that's all you needed to know, leave now!" Death ordered pointing the exit but Marceline quickly grabbed him by his shirt again.

"I'm not leaving, you hear me?" she shouted fighting her tears "Not without him, you must bring him back to life!"

Death laughed, "So really want him so badly? You, the Vampire Queen! Crying for a human boy? Now I've seen it all!"

I'm SERIOUS!" she groaned still blinded by her wrath "Just bring him back…to us!"

"What would you give me for him?" Death asked squinting his eyes.

"What do you want?" Princess Bubblegum replied stepping forward; her face was soaked with her own tears. She was determined to give Death whatever he wanted in exchange for her knight's soul, for how can the world ever be the same without Finn running around the palace, without his laughter filling the air or without his senseless jokes cheering up her days?

"WAIT PRINCESS!" A giant yellow dog shouted jumping over the whole that Marceline made on the crystal roof "Don't give him anything!"

It was Jake whose father had instructed to challenge Death in order to retrieve the human's soul. When he received the news about Finn's passing, his world collapsed but Joshua gave him hope telling him that Finn was doing fine. His brother had his own mission to fulfill within one of the fifty dead worlds that surrounded them and he promised to wait for him patiently.

The worst part for the golden bulldog was to pop out of his hole and inform his friends about Finn's death, it was even worse than the fact of his passing itself. Jake never thought that he would ever see his hero shed a single tear, or Susan's green eyes clouded by her tears. She really cared for Finn, Jake was aware of that and watching her cry quietly broke his already shattered heart once more. Glob, even the Ice King looked terrible. The old blue man howled bitterly squeezing his penguin and shouted things such as "Why him and not Gunter?" and "No Finn, why did you have to die and leave me alone with Princess Bubblegum? I'll name our first son after you! I promise!"

Flame Princess's reaction? Damn, Jake didn't even want to recall that moment. There was something especial between his human brother and her, which made it painful for him to hold the girl in his furry arms while she cried. Her tears burned and not just because they were like a candle's melted paraffin wax falling on his shoulder but also because he was total softie when it came to the matters of the heart and he understood was she was going through.

After the commotion Jake did his best trying to explain them his plan to rescue Finn's soul from the Underworld and brought some light to their watery eyes. Joshua told him that Death could be cheated; all he needed to do was to challenge him and win. With these thoughts on his mind, the usually laid-back dog adapted his body to jumbo size and chased Marceline and Bubblegum to warn them about the situation. Thankfully he managed to arrive before the pink princess did something reckless.

"The dog!" Death gasped staring at the panting yellow creature that collapsed on his garden.

"Actually, it's Jake the Dog man…" he replied trying to stand up "and I'm here to rescue my brother's soul!"

"May I ask how are you going to do that?" the skeleton said crossing his arms.

"I challenge you!" Jake shouted searching for Marceline's arm "She and I challenge you to a musical battle! Heh, what do you say?" His plan was perfect, by combining his musical abilities with Marceline's rocker skills there was no way for them to lose against the death metal drummer.

Death shook his head slowly "Not this time bro…"

"WHAT?" the trio screamed with a combination of surprise and terror.

"The rules have changed. It's a life for a life now…" he answered coldly.

That changed everything, but Jake wasn't going to wave the white flag so soon. He knew what he had to do, save his little brother "Okay Death, I give you my life in exchange for Finn's soul!"

"No Jake." Princess Bubblegum said placing her hand on the dog's shoulder "Finn needs you by his side, let it be me who sacrifices her life…"

Marceline chuckled softly "Don't be stupid Bonnibel, you still have a whole kingdom to care for and you know it!" she walked forward "Death, how about my immortality? Do you want it?"

The skeleton smiled "That's the best offer yet…very well then-…"

"Stop right there fool, I'm not going to give up my immortality so easily!" the Vampire Queen interrupted "I still want the challenge! Give me two hours to search for Finn in every dead world and if I don't manage to find him in that time, you'll win my immortality but if I win, you'll give us what we want! It's a deal?"

"Deal!" Death replied opening a portal next to her "Bring him if you can!" he laughed, "that is…**if** you can!"

"Of course she can!" Jake replied frowning "Go Marcy, show him!"

Marceline nodded giving him a confident smile "Sure, I will…"

"Hey Marceline!" Bubblegum shouted before the vampire jumped into the portal "Good luck…"

"Thanks, Bonnie." She said showing her a thumb up "I'll bring the weenie with me in no time, don't worry guys!" Marceline turned and stared at the portal "Here I come Finn…"

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Did anyone watch "Sons of mars"? God it was crazy and helped me a lot with this chapter. I hope that you have enjoyed it.

As always, I accept complaints, suggestions or opinions about the story so feel free to review. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	23. Time's up!

Tale 23: Something wicked this way comes! Part III: Time's up!

**02:00:00 **

Where was he now? Finn had no idea; all he has done since he left the so-called Caverns of Despair was to follow Madame Leotte's instructions. The ex-human boy wasn't still very sure of trusting her but she was the only clue that could lead him to the masked man. First she ordered him to cross the Valley of restless souls and she complained all the way because he was making her dizzy with his running until she asked him to stop so she could insult him again.

"I just can't get it!" Leotte groaned while the boy held her over his face "Why are you running? You are a ghost, you can fly now!"

"I can?" Finn replied blinking in confusion.

"Well obviously the answer to that question is yes! Turn those noodle legs into a ghostly tail and you'll be floating in no time!" she answered angrily.

Finn placed the crystal ball on the ground and crouched in front of her with a curious look on his face "Then… tell me how can I do that." He said with a quiet voice.

"I wish I had hands to slap my face…" Leotte whispered rolling her eyes "You don't know anything about being dead, do you?" the blonde boy shook his head causing her to sigh, "Just focus and imagine yourself jumping from a tall building or something and howl like a ghost would."

The ex-human hesitated but decided to obey due to his precarious situation. He closed his eyes and imagined that he was standing on the edge of a high cliff and let himself fall while screaming "Boooooo!" Finn knew that he probably looked stupid but it was worth it. When his blue eyes opened his legs were missing and he now had a long bluish ghost tail hanging from waist.

"Whoa, mathematical!" he exclaimed floating around cheerfully "I officially look like a true ghost now! ... Wait, that can't be something good."

Now that phantom Finn could levitate his pace became smoother and Madame Leotte stopped her complaints for a while. Then after a few hours (or what Finn thought were hours cause when you're dead you lose track of time.) during their flight over the Lost specter's wasteland the old fortuneteller began to bother him again.

"Say, do you have a name? I'm tired of calling you boy all the time!" the curl-haired woman asked roughly.

"Yeah, I'm Finn!" the blonde hero replied "Finn the Human!"

"Hmmm…Finn the Human…" she repeated analyzing the name "How about Finn the Knave? I think it suits you perfectly!"

Finn stopped flying to glare at her "Huh? What gives you the right to change my name?" he inquired with irritation.

"Hey! Do you want me to take you to the river of Hate or not?" Madame Leotte shouted back with a mischievous smile.

The ex-human sighed in defeat lowering his head and continued making his way through the Underworld. Finally they reached what seemed to be the end of the road. A large red stonewall rose before them, its height appeared to be infinite and the young hero was grateful of having discovered his ability to fly, however…

"I hope you're not thinking in walking through the Wall of Strive or flying over it because it is forbidden." The ghastly woman warned raising her gaze to stare at Finn.

"W-what? Then how am I supposed to-…" the boy was about to reply when Leotte cut his words abruptly.

"Common sense indicates to go up, which means climbing which also implies that… You must put those skinny arms and legs to work, so get moving knave!" she shouted causing him to fall over his butt.

Finn leaned backwards trying to measure the wall's height and gulped nervously "Grod…even if I climb for all the eternity…I won't be able to reach the top!" he whispered rubbing his forehead in concern "But I promised dad I'd beat up that masked man guy, so I gotta try!"

Madame Leotte gave him a warm smile "That's the spirit knave!" The ex-human rolled his eyes accepting the half-encouraging comment and took off his green backpack. She stared at him while he opened it and pushed some of his stuff to make space inside "What are you doing?" Mrs. Brice asked guessing what he was doing.

"I'm making space for you in my bag, I can't carry you if I'm climbing…" Finn answered grabbing the crystal ball and then dropping it carefully inside. Leotte moaned in annoyance but Finn had a point so she kept her mouth shut. "Okay, here we go!" the young hero exclaimed spitting on his palms and then rubbed them against each other eagerly. He then, began to walk backwards at a quick pace stretching his spirit body muscles.

The woman on his back blinked in confusion and called the boy's attention clearing her throat "Again, what are you doing?"

"I'm just taking some impulse for my jump…"

"Oh…" she replied not really understanding what he was doing "…wait! Jump?"

"Hold on tight!" Finn ordered happily before starting to run at high speed towards the wall.

"With what? I DON'T have hands, you stupid knave!" Madame Leotte screamed with a combination of anger and terror, as the boy's knees bended slightly and sprung them into the air.

The ex-human's leap gave him a considerable height and he was planning to use it in his favor by quickly turning his arm backwards to grab his Blood Demon sword and stab it through the red stone. They slipped a few meters down before the sword stopped their fall. Finn chuckled in excitement turning his head to glance at the bothered woman's ghastly face while clinging to his blade "How was that? We are very high now; it would have take hours to reach this height by climbing! Not bad, huh?"

"NOT BAD? I could have fall, you know? I'm made of crystal! I'm fragile! These things pulverize my nerves! That's no way to treat and elderly woman like me!"

The boy shook his head frowning "It's impossible to please you, right?" he complained placing his hands on the rocky wall to start his climb.

/

Marceline walked inspecting her surroundings, she knew the Underworld very well but just some of its specific locations like the Nightosphere where she spent some of her time when she lived with her father and the Land of the dead where she used to hang out with her ghost buds in her early teenager years but she wasn't very sure if that knowledge would be of help. The Underworld was conformed by fifty different dimensions known as Dead Worlds, excluding Glob World, which was forbidden for someone like her.

That thought made her bones shiver slightly, the Vampire Queen had to search around a great variety of dimensions if she wanted to find Finn's soul and keep her immortality but, what if she fails? Finn would be sent to Glob World where she knew he belonged causing the rest of her mates a great pain and even make them fail on their quest to take down the Lich. But she wouldn't be able to know, if Death takes her immortality she will vanish from the universe. Like if she had never existed before, like if Marceline Abadeer had never been born.

"That's scary…" the vampire whispered lowering her gaze. "C'mon Finn, jump out from wherever you are, don't make me go through this!" she slapped her face angrily "Of course… this was my brilliant idea… I should've said five hours, dang it!"

/

Death squinted his eyes staring at the multicolored group of people glaring at him and wondered what happened with those golden ages in which people was afraid of death. Back then no mortal would have ever dared to travel into the Underworld voluntarily or break inside his Light castle to order him junk and force him to violate the laws of nature. Where was that respect now?

The horse-like skeleton aimed his gaze at the flickering girl in front of him; did she even know who he was? How dared she to keep her eyes focused on him with that defiant burning expression so typical of the fire elementals after all he has actually done for them? He was the one who returned their souls back to the bodies where they belonged, he was letting them stay in his palace until the two hours that the Vampire Queen had left of existence were out and he thought he was being very kind for accepting her challenge although he was pretty sure that Marceline wouldn't be back in time. It was impossible for her to explore the fifty infinite Dead Worlds in just two puny little hours. Death smiled knowing that Marceline's immortality and Finn's soul already belonged to him.

"Why are you so happy, huh? Is there something on my face? Do you think I'm funny?" the fiery girl challenged him once again.

Flame Princess's temper was above its boiling point letting her anger spit harsh words recklessly at one of the most powerful beings in the universe. She was very unstable at the moment and her teammates took some distance knowing it was dangerous to be around her while she was in that state. So many things had happened to her in the last few days, some of them painful, some others too good to be true or last forever but in any case a fire elemental's nature was explosive, especially when stimulated by strong emotions either good or bad. The anger, the angst, the sadness and the fear were being contained inside her as they kept expanding. Imagine a volcano about to explode and imagine that its crater is blocked, the mountain will eventually blow itself up destroying everything around it. The girl was a time bomb.

And why wouldn't she? Flame P had just discovered that her soul mate, the only person on this crazy world they lived who dared to defy nature for her, who wasn't afraid of her flames and who she new cared truly deeply for her was dead. On top of that her pal, that strange vampire girl who gave her the chance of living her dream of traveling and having adventures across Ooo and the one who showed kindness towards her when was she was alone in the Grasslands, was jeopardizing her existence just to bring Finn back. How could she not be about to freak out?

"You'd better chill down or I'll be tempted to break my promise, you hear me?" Death scolded her pointing the flames that were being slowly spread around his Zen garden.

The Flame Princess just snorted angrily and flew outside breaking a window on purpose and leaving a trail of fire behind. The bothered skeleton noticed that his precious flowers were burning and ordered Jake to put out the flames otherwise he'll reduce Marceline's deadline. The poor bulldog didn't want to do it but he had no other choice, Jake walked towards the burning plants and stretched his foot to stomp on the fire.

A loud shriek was heard on the distance and in a few seconds a giant fireball flashed inside the castle hitting a wall just after Jake crouched to dodge it. "Man…" the dog sighed still lying on the floor "I think I have pissed her off more than she was before…"

"Death, how much time has passed? I need to know, this is killing me!" Princess Bubblegum said walking towards the skeleton gardener. Her hands were shivering, she had bags under her eyes and her hair was messy. Lack of sleep, hunger and stress were affecting her already, Bubblegum couldn't relax she was just too nervous.

"All right…" Death sighed "Here take this!" he yelled conjuring a big hourglass filled with black sand, it was adorned with small golden skulls and silver bones. He grabbed the strange artifact and flipped it over to start the count "One hundred twenty minutes are running now!" he yawned stretching his arms "I'm going to take a nap, wake me up when the Vampire Queen fails…"

Bubblegum followed him with her glaring eyes until he disappeared within one of the Light castle's corridors and then fixed her gaze on the hourglass. The black sand grains were falling fast and smoothly one after the other…

**01:58:12 hours remain…**

**/**

If the soul is supposed to be weightless, then why does Finn's spiritual body felt so heavy? He had made a great effort climbing under strange circumstances that appeared as he slowly advanced upwards. First his limbs began to feel weary, then his body was as heavy as a chunk of lead and while he got closer to the top an intense wave of heat hit him. The rocks from which he was clinging to became hotter and burned his hands but he wasn't going to let go of them. He couldn't allow himself to fall; he had gotten to far to give in.

"Guess this is why they call it the Wall of Strive, huh?" the boy chuckled weakly.

"Were you expecting flowers and rainbows all the way up?" Madame Leotte replied sarcastically.

Finn ignored the mock and continued with his struggle raising one hand at a time while using his feet to help his tired arms on pulling his now oddly overweighed body. The edge was close all he needed was one last push to reach it. "A-almost there…" he whispered leaning his right foot on a rock and stretched his arm to touch it but he couldn't. The ex-human had to get closer and decided to place his left foot on the rock where his other foot was resting. Bad idea. The rock couldn't bear the weight and crumbled causing him to lose the support on his feet; thankfully he managed to grab the edge before falling a hundred meters down. "Whoa! That was a close one!" the young hero exclaimed wiping off the sweat on his forehead.

"Knave…knave…knave…I'm slipping! KNAVE!" the crystal ball fell from the open backpack as Madame Leotte screamed in terror. She closed her brown eyes waiting for her crash and imagined herself breaking in pieces but nothing happened. Leotte opened her lids slowly and noticed that she was hanging but what stopped her fall?

"Hey, are you okay?" a concerned Finn asked holding the crystal ball between his legs.

"Thanks to your noodle legs, I promise to stop complaining about your ridiculous shape." The old woman replied panting still frightened for the shock.

Once on the edge the young hero collapsed dropping the crystal ball and his sword to rest for a while. He didn't understand how a ghost could suffer that much without a body. It just didn't make sense.

"Hey Finn the Knave!" Leotte called all of a sudden "Bedtime is over, stand up and look where you are!"

Finn lifted his back while leaning on his hands, when he reached the top he felt so tired that he didn't care explore the new area and became stunned when a sea of raging flames lightened his face "I-is this…the river of Fire?"

"With all the lava, molten rocks and flames? No, I think this is the river of Frosty the snowman and friends!" the fortuneteller laughed annoyingly.

"Yeah, very funny…" the ex-human groaned picking up his stuff "How can we get across it?" he inquired walking closer to the boiling lava pit. "Flying could be dangerous with all that hot junk jumping from within it…"

"Oh right, now I remember!" his ghastly companion said staring at him "This one's tricky, you need to find the untamable flame and well ugh…tame it…"

"Untamable flame?" Finn replied feeling confused.

"Yes, a fierce flare creature wild as the fire from where it was born… but it shouldn't be a problem for you!" she laughed "The cards told me that you had some good amount of experience on taming fiery creatures of the _female_ kind!"

The blonde boy's face flushed and frowned at her "S-stop it will you? That's none of your business!"

"Puff! Whatever, we are talking about a wild stallion here, not a girl." Madame Leotte continued, "He's known as the Blazer and unless you are an infernal being like the Hellhound or the masked man, you'll need his help to cross this river."

"Well, I can deal with beasts…" the ex-human boy replied scratching his cheek with his index finger "How can I find it?"

"He's charging towards you right now…" the old woman answered carelessly.

"He's wha-…?" Finn couldn't finish the sentence; the hard flaring skull of the black steed hit his chest sending him into the air. The spirit body crashed on the ground after flying several meters away from its attacker. The young hero lifted his head shaking it repeatedly to clear his vision. "Whoa…it's algebraic!" A black horse with flaming hoofs, tail and mane stood on its back sturdy legs raising its body upwards while neighing fiercely at the amazed boy. "I gotta ride that steed!"

The stallion stared at him angrily with its ruby-like eyes and repeated the attack hitting its powerful hoofs against the rocky ground. Finn gasped and ducked his foe rolling aside causing the horse to stop its pace and turn around to face him.

"C'mon horsey, I'm ready to ride your back!" the ex-human boy shouted bending his knees slightly while taunting the Blazer with a silly tune.

"What?" Madame Leotte cried watching him from the distance "Are you stupid knave? One must never taunt a Blazer, they are too proud and take mocks very seriously!"

The animal glared at him rubbing its hoof angrily against the ground, clouds of smoke were being blown from its nostrils as the fiery steed prepared to charge at him like an uncontrollable bull.

"Uh oh…" Finn whispered worriedly realizing what he was doing. He was pretty good dealing with monsters; trolls and stuff but he had no experience with horses at all. The closest he had ever gotten to ride one was when he was three years old and Joshua would pretend to be his loyal steed during his imaginary adventures.

The stallion galloped at high speed towards him sending sparks each time its hoofs grazed the ground, the young hero didn't have time to react and was sent into the air again. Finn crashed and rolled literally kissing the reddish ground on his violent landing but that didn't stop him. He stood up feeling all dizzy and weary, he knew just one thing; he had to jump over the horse's back and ride it.

"C-come here black beauty…" the blonde boy taunted one more time still looking unsteady.

The Blazer didn't hesitate and ran at him using its top speed. Finn was seeing double but fought to keep his balance waiting for the right moment to jump. He waited focusing on his instincts, the young hero knew that he couldn't rely on his senses; it was all matter of intuition. He felt the blazing beast getting closer and closer, its hoofs hit the ground rhythmically like heartbeats and then Finn sprung over it. The horse passed under him almost in slow motion as he flipped in mid-air to fall on its back.

The flaring steed neighed furiously feeling the weight on him and began to jump around bending its body wildly to get rid of it. Finn grabbed its mane trying to remain over the angry horse, its fire burned but he had to accept what Leotte told him earlier, thanks to Flame Princess he had developed a better resistance towards heat that helped him to keep his mount.

"Yahoo! C'mon toss him already!" the old woman shouted feeling like in a rodeo.

"Hey!" the inexperienced cowboy replied impatiently "On which side are you?"

"The winning side of course, my boy!" she laughed.

"How about a little help? Tell me how to tame it!" Finn pleaded fighting desperately to not fall from the raging stallion.

"You must drain out all its energy, make it exhausted!"

"Right!" he said but then hesitated "Wait…what if I get exhausted first?" the hero decided to shut his mouth and not think about it, all he had to do now was endure the Blazer's rage.

Suddenly the horse stopped its uncontrollable movements and turned its head to snort at Finn covering his face with the soot that came from its smoky breathing. "W-what are you planning to do?" the human ghost asked staring nervously at the black steed, he could swear that there was a smirk on its muzzle.

Almost immediately the animal restarted its running but this time it aimed at the rocky walls around the place and crashed against them without hesitation or regret in an attempt to crush its rider. "Oh no, horsey! I won't let you go!" the boy yelled embracing the stallion's neck with all his strength.

Their struggle lasted three more minutes before the tired steed neighed one last time and collapsed onto the ground panting heavily, Finn had to let go of himself and roll away to avoid the horse's sturdy body from falling over him. He had to admit it, if the stallion hadn't surrendered by now he would have failed.

"Excellent, Magnificent!" a familiar voice congratulated him from the distance "Such graceful display of skills deserve my applause!"

Finn couldn't believe his eyes, he knew that voice, and he knew that silhouette "F-flame King?" he asked in amazement "But…you're dead!"

"Hey knave, you are dead too, remember? In fact everyone inhabiting these dimensions is dead, that's why they call them "Dead Worlds" duh!" the ghastly woman inside the crystal ball shouted in annoyance.

"Ah, so you know me?" the giant fire elemental inquired cheerfully "Come here, let me shake hands with you! It's an honor to meet an audacious lad like you!"

"Pfft! This knave?" Madame Leotte laughed, "Finn's not audacious, he's just…stupid!" she said mocking the blonde boy who was about to reply when the copper armored being gasped in disbelief.

"Did you just say…Finn?" He narrowed his eyes getting closer at him "Yes I couldn't recognize you without that foolish hat of yours, Prince Finn…"

The boy grinned nervously feeling the king's gaze fixed over him "Hehe, yeah…about that…" he began wanting to settle things with his girlfriend's father "The truth is…I-I may _not _be a prince…"

"NOT A PRINCE?" the giant fire ball shouted on his face "What are you then? A duke? A minister?"

Finn pulled his shirt away from his neck trying refresh himself "Nope…I'm a…simple dude, hehe…" he replied chuckling anxiously.

The Flame King jumped backwards in astonishment "A WHAT?"

/

Marceline flew through a grey wasteland searching desperately for the human runt but there was no trace of him, the only signs of life…or "unlife" she could find were the tall winged skeleton ghouls that wandered miserably around the misty wasteland.

"Where are you dumb?" she yelled feeling the time running out of her grasp "This isn't time to play Cloud Hunt, you know? … Finn!"

"Yo, gal! Why are you so frustrated?" an unknown voice asked on her back "Can't win a simple hide n' seek game?

Marceline turned around stunned about hearing another voice in that desolated emptiness "Hey you…who are you?" the Vampire Queen asked staring at the grinning ghost waving at her. He was wearing a sleeveless snow jacket and a headband to keep his long hair away from his eyes. From one of his antlers a tiny sword hanged to resemble an earring.

"The name's Clarence…" he answered calmly and floated towards her "It's weird to find folks around the 37th Dead World, what is it? You've got some business here?"

"The 37th Dead World you said? Hehe…actually is also weird to find ghosts here you know?" the vampire replied with mistrust.

"Yeah, but I'm just making my way back home. I belong to the 50th Dead World were my girlfriend is waiting for me." Clarence said taking something out from his pocket "I paid a small visit to the world of the living, Ghost Princess wanted some snacks and the best ones are only found at Squeez-E-Mart!" the ghost extended his arm offering her some "Zeezy Thingz"

"Uhg…no thanks, I'm in a hurry!" Marceline looked at him with curiosity "Say, have you seen a boy around here? A human boy, his name's Finn."

"Whoa… I know that Finn!" Clarence replied in excitement "Are you his friend or something? I know! He's beating your butt in Cloud Hunt and you want to cheat using my help, right?"

"No! It's not that, don't be fool!" she yelled impatiently "Look it's a long story, basically Finn was killed and I bet my immortality to Death so we can bring him back, I have to find him in two hours or we'll be done for!"

"Glob…that's bad…" the antlered spook whispered in concern "But hey, don't worry! I'm gonna help ya!" he said patting her on the back "Finn saved me once and gave me the chance of spending eternity with my true love, I owe him that and more…"

"Y-you think… you can help me?" Marceline asked wishing for a positive answer.

"Sure! Do you know how many Dead Worlds I've crossed to reach the world of the living? The gates of the Underworld are on the 1st one so… I've floated through all of them!"

"Cool, you gave me a good point of reference to start looking…" the black haired girl placed her hand on her chin and began to think out loud "If Finn is coming from Glob World like Jake said, then that means that he must be heading to those gates you spoke of… but that dog wasn't very clear on telling where Finn was going to, so we can't be sure! Darn it Jake, why can't you explain things clearly?"

"Listen vampire girl…" Clarence began "If Finn just died that means he is still a spirit on it's pure form but if he tries to leave the Underworld through the gates like many of us did trying to join the living again, he'll become a ghoul and if that happens not even Death will be able to bring him back to life! Finn will have to wander throughout Ooo for all eternity until he ascends to the 50th Dead World!"

"One more reason to hurry then!" the Vampire Queen replied flying away and then stopped herself abruptly to smile at Clarence ashamed "What was the correct direction again?" she asked scratching the back of her head.

"Ugh…I haven't said anything!" he chuckled "Just follow me, I'll take you there!"

"Thanks bud, hey you're a nice guy after all!" Marceline said flying behind him. Thanks to Clarence she now had a chance of succeeding, she just hoped that Finn wasn't lost or anything because if that were to happen…well…

**01:23:52 hours remain…**

**/**

The Flame King growled angrily one more time "A simple_ dude_?" he shouted frowning at the blonde boy "Does that mean you're nothing but a peasant?"

"Hey, no!" the young hero yelled back "Don't judge me by that!" he pressed his open hand on his chest "I'm Finn! Finn the-!"

"Finn the Knave!" the old woman's ghost ended enjoying Finn's freaked out stare.

"Yes! Knave…it suits you perfectly!" the king spat pointing the ex-human's face "A low class deceiver like you, I can't understand why did you dare to enter my kingdom and captivate my daughter's interest only to break her heart! What is it? Is she too much for a scoundrel like you? You don't like her?"

Finn frowned and smacked the Flame King's arm away from him "I like your daughter. A lot. And she likes me back…it was all just a big mistake! Listen, let me explain it to you, Jake my bro-…"

"SHE? Likes you back?" the imposing fiery ruler's voice faded slightly and was now a tone of concern "If I had learned something out of all this chaos I had to experience before dying, is that my daughter is the most valuable jewel I treasure and she must not be given to any…" he cut himself and stared at Finn from head to toes "What are your intentions with my daughter?"

"What are my wut?" the boy in front of him replied in total confusion.

"Ahem…warning knave," Madame Leotte whispered when he picked her up from the ground "Here comes the overprotective father…"

"I said…what are YOUR INTENTIONS WITH MY DAUGHTER?" the armor-covered fireball screamed losing his patience.

"I-intentions, yes!" Finn replied turning his head nervously in every direction "Well…ugh…Flame P is…"

"Flame P? What's that?" the Flame King gasped "Are you using nicknames on my daughter?" he asked staring at the young hero with a bothered look "How dare you call a princess…? Wait, what is that about her liking you back? Did she tell it to you or…" he leaned closer to him squinting his menacing eyes "Did she _show it _to you?"

"Psst boy!" the crystal ball murmured, "If I were you I'd cover those burned lips with something!"

"W-what do you mean with that?" At that moment Finn's mind became a total mess. He just couldn't get why the Flame King became maniacally defensive all of a sudden and what did those advises Leotte give him meant. "_Why did he turn overprotective?_ He thought staring at the fire elemental in confusion _"Protective against what? I would never harm Flame Princess in anyway and why does Mrs. Brice is telling me to cover my lips? What's wrong with-…"_ Then it hit him. Flame Princess's dad was protecting her from like-liking and from him like-liking her but why? What was wrong with it? The poor teenager couldn't understand it; he'll have to ask Jake when he recovers his life.

"For your sake brat, I hope that wound on your dirty mouth was provoked during your battle with the Blazer otherwise I'll personally guarantee that your life will be turned into a hell, you hear me?"

"F-Flame King what's wrong?" Finn muttered nervously "I'm not going hurt the princess or anything, I already told you I like her!"

"Exactly, that's what worries me the most! You like her, ha! I'm not buying that again human!" the fire elemental extended his arms and grabbed the young hero's shoulders firmly. Finn could feel the heat but it wasn't actually burning, maybe because they were both dead. "Now I'm not that sure about letting you date my daughter, not just because you're not part of the royal class but also because you've been acting pretty _suspicious_…"

"Sus-picious?" the blonde boy repeated with genuine innocence.

"Yes suspicious!" the king yelled, "First you enter my palace saying that you have interest on her, bla, bla, bla. Then you rejected her, breaking her poor evil heart and now you appear out from nowhere shouting that you like her a lot n' stuff! Tell me Finn the Knave, what are you expecting me to conclude out of your particular behavior?"

"Ummm yeah, that's what I was talking about!" the ex-human tried to talk "If you just let me explain that it wasn't me who-…"

"NO! There's nothing to explain!" the Flame King silenced him angered "You must be wanting to lure my little girl into doing…those things with you! Those forbidden things…but know this, Finn the Knave…if you ever lay a single finger on my daughter again I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Whoa, hey! Slow down please, I don't know what are you talking about and besides…how are you going to kill me if both of us are already dead?" Finn replied escaping from the king's grasp "I-I just wanted to settle things! I don't really wanna have trouble with you or your daughter, I swear!" Drops of sweat rolled down his forehead "We- we should try to get along with each other…wh-what do you think about that?"

The mighty flame glared at him crossing his arms while turning his face away "With you? No thanks. I can't trust you anymore! Just…Stay away from my princess if you now what's healthy for you!"

The blonde boy stared at him with disappointment, if Flame King didn't like him then that would complicate his relation with Flame Princess. At first he was willing to explain him everything, Jake's trick, the Goblin Kingdom incident and how he and her had grown fond of each other. Finn thought that it was best for the king to know that he is actually his daughter's boyfriend but seeing how the fire elemental was reacting to his words, he decided to keep his mouth shut at least for now.

A loud neigh drove the ex-human boy out of his thoughts, the Blazer was snorting at him impatiently like if he was waiting for something "Hey knave!" Madame Leotte called "This horse is giving you a stare that says: "Now that you've tamed me, are we going to cross this river or what?" Hmmm…yes I'm pretty sure that's what he's trying to say…"

Finn sighed in defeat lowering his head "Right, It's time to leave…" the boy lifted his gaze towards the fiery ruler "Flame King I… really love your daughter and I'm sorry for hurting her back then and also for troubling you… I'm dead now!" he chuckled "and I'm probably never going to see her again so, you can relax…" the young hero gave him one last sad glance and then walked to the blazing steed "I've got to stop some psycho from escaping to the world of the living and making things worst out there…I have to go…"

The black stallion leaned down to let Finn get on its back easily and then galloped with a rhythmic pace to the river of Fire's edge. The Flame King stared at him in silence, he could only think on his daughter and remembered how she pronounced Finn's name with she returned to the throne room before the Vampire King attacked. _"His name is Finn and don't worry for me…I'm fine now…" _She was defending him; maybe by being fine she meant that she was happy. Did that boy really made her happy?

The king rubbed his forehead with frustration, flashbacks of his death stroke his mind. Flame Princess was crying over him and he was apologizing for never showing her how much he truly loved her. The last time he saw his daughter she was suffering, if only he could have see her smile…but in reality he couldn't remember watching her laugh or grin while she was locked in the crystal lamp.

Could Finn make her smile? _"Flame King…I really love your daughter"_ In life he never showed her that he loved her, but she was his precious girl and she deserved to be loved.

"Hey, Finn the Knave!" the giant fire elemental shouted forcing the blonde boy to turn and face him nervously "If your feelings are true and pure…and if you…somehow make it back to life please…embrace her for me."

Finn's blue eyes widened in amazement and then smiled sincerely at the king "I swear I will!" he replied waving at him joyfully.

His fiery mount stared at the flames rising before them and snorted kicking the scorched ground; the horse then proceeded to create some distance between him and the river. When he was far enough, the steed lifted its frontal hoofs neighing fiercely and galloped with great speed striking the earth and lifting ashes as he ran. Just a few meters before reaching the edge, the Blazer bended its knees and leaped soaring across the hell that burned beneath him and his rider.

"SHMOW-ZOW!" the young hero yelled with excitement lifting his arms triumphantly in the air.

The Flame King chuckled shaking his head, he had to admit it, that boy was really something and maybe it wasn't a bad idea to let him date his princess. It was clear that he wasn't a cold-blooded killer but he was brave and skillful enough to tame a wild blazer, Flame Princess's temper couldn't be a problem for him. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed that he had made the right decision; letting that knave love his daughter was the best way to repay her for stealing her freedom and to show her how much he really loved her as her father. Of course, the idea of having a teenager boy hanging around his little girl still scared him to death but all parents had go through it at some point of their lives right? And besides he wasn't even alive so, he couldn't help it.

**01:09:34 hours remain…**

/

Clarence landed close to the violet waters and lifted a rock to peek under it "Finn are you there?" he asked staring at the dirt "No, of course you don't…Glob, maybe this constant search and the overwhelming weight of pressure that the ageless illusion of time is exerting over our tired spirits has exhausted my logic…" he whispered tossing the rock. His eyes followed the rolling stone until it fell inside the river and he noticed strange marks on the sand "footsteps!" the ghost gasped exanimating them better "Hey, Marceline! Come check this out!"

"Any clues?" the vampire asked arriving quickly to his side. Clarence replied with a nod and pointed the marks on the sand. Marceline lifted an eyebrow and kneeled to down almost pasting her nose on the dirt "Yeah…" she smiled feeling a wave of relief splashing her concerned spirit "These are Finn's stinky feet…"

"Great!" the antlered spook exclaimed raising his fist as a sign of victory "We are going on the right way! Finn must have crossed this river, now I'm totally sure he's making his way towards the Underworld's Gates!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's fly over it!" the Vampire Queen suggested jumping into the air.

"Wait, not so fast…" Clarence warned her "This is one of the five cursed rivers of the Underworld, the river of Sorrow!"

"Damn…I don't brought any golden coins with me!" she growled pulling out her pockets, some useless junk fell from them "And here I thought I wasn't being reckless…"

"It's okay!" the ghost laughed "I always carry a bag full of them with me!" … "Uh-oh…" he moaned after checking inside his bag.

"Uh-uh what?" Marceline inquired impatiently.

"I thought I had more, but I just have two coins! We won't be able to return if we cross it!" he yelled anxiously "It'll be a hundred years trapped on the shore!"

"We'll come up with something later, hurry and call Kcharon now!" the vampire ordered pushing him to the edge.

**00:55:23 minutes left… **

/

The Blazer stopped its pace and snorted indicating Finn to jump off him, the ex-human boy obeyed and then stared at the flaring stallion making its way to the river of Fire "Why is he going back?" he asked looking at the crystal ball that he was holding under his arm.

"He just doesn't belong to this area… C'mon let's go! The masked man is close, I can feel it…" Madame Leotte ordered sternly.

Finn noticed her sudden mood swing and nodded in agreement recognizing that as they walked deeper and deeper into the darkness of this new strange area of the Underworld their situation turned more serious and dangerous. He unsheathed his Demon Blood sword just to be sure.

**00:47:56 minutes left… **

**/**

"This is the Wall of Strive, right?" Marceline inquired leaning backwards to see it better.

"Yeah… we can't fly over it, climbing it's the only way up…" Clarence answered "It's a tiring challenge, even for the ghosts… it's probably going to take us half an hour if we move quickly…"

"I don't have half an hour…" the Vampire Queen grinned grabbing his jacket abruptly "Remain tangible Clarence, I'm taking us to the top now!" she ordered before bending down and springing upwards.

"Cool…" the antlered ghost whispered watching how the vampire girl dragged him up hopping swiftly from rock to rock all the way to the top.

It took her less than two minutes to land next to the river of Fire's edge. The Flame King was still there staring at the other side, he turned and faced Marceline "I remember you…" he said crossing his arms behind his back "You are the Vampire Queen, a friend of my daughter."

"Yeah" she replied sternly "So you ended up here, huh?"

"I have to pay for my mistakes, I'm fine with this…" the king answered turning back to watch the other side of the river "Finn crossed this river a while ago, I suppose you're searching for him."

"That's right… thanks man, I'll tell Flame P that you're doing fine here." Marceline said smiling at him "Is there a way to follow him to the other side?"

"You must tame the Blazer first…"

"The blazing stallion? Is it possible to tame that thing?" Clarence chuckled "I've always preferred to burn my butt rather than dealing with that beast!"

"You just leave it to me…" the Vampire Queen replied crackling her knuckles while approaching to the fierce steed snorting at her "C'mon horsey, let's dance!"

**00:34:17 minutes left… **

/

The undead wizard ear's perceived the sound of splashing water nearby and stopped walking reluctantly "This is it…" he spoke turning to face his masked master "The river of Hate, swim across it and you'll be at the Gates of the Underworld in no time…"

"Excellent…" the silver masked man whispered with his gloomy voice "Hand me the cosmic radar so I can be on my way…"

"Sure but first…" Ash replied taking out the tracking device from his pocket "We made a deal, remember? You'll grant me protection against the Lich's dark magic!"

"Hehehe…" the mysterious man laughed lowering his black hooded head ominously "That's right, I promised you that, didn't I?" he lifted his gaze aiming his yellow pupils at him. They glowed menacingly behind the emotionless human face that covered them "But you see, the only protection against the Lich's powers that I can offer you is to consume your body before he does…" The white haired punk gasped in fear making a few steps backwards. The masked man tilted his head to one side creepily "I'm going to kill you!" he chuckled "Kerberus attack!"

The hellhound snarled cornering the terrified wizard "N-no…please… No!" Ash begged crouching and covering himself with his arms "Don't kill me please! Someone…SAVE ME!" The black dog barked angrily and jumped over his victim baring his sharp fangs. Ash closed his eyes giving up all hope but before the beast could bite him a red blade cut through the air almost hitting him and pierced the wall next to the scared punk.

"Hey you freak! I'm dead and it's all your fault!"

Ash knew that annoying voice and couldn't believe he was happy about it "I-it's you!" the undead wizard yelled nervously "The human brat!" Finn jumped near him and pulled out his sword "You saved me man! W-wait…why did you do it? All this mess it's my fault, you know!"

"I'll help anyone who needs me, even if it's a bad guy, that's my deal!" the blonde boy replied grinning at him "Now stand up and help me beat this pup!"

"I-I'll try…. I guess…" Ash said feeling his pride crumble. Did he just agree to help a mortal runt? What the heck? But he wasn't a mortal anymore, right?

Kerberus bared its teeth glaring at them, his eyes shifted from the ex-human to the punk choosing his first prey and with a sudden move the dog charged against Ash burying its hard skull on his abdomen. The impact sent him several meters away and he landed rolling wildly through the ground. The cosmic radar bounced a few inches far from him.

Finn tightened his grip on the Demon Blood sword and rushed to save Ash from being slathered in the same way he was, the boy slid on the dirt kicking the beast away from the fallen wizard. "Yay! Dad was right!" he exclaimed jumping cheerfully "Now that dog and I share the same spiritual plane my moves can harm him!" the young hero extended his arm to point the growling hound beside him "Are you ready to board the knuckle train to fist planet doggy?"

The beast's green eyes began to glow while its body stretched; Finn could hear bone crackling and muscles ripping. What the heck was happening to that dog? He couldn't tell, it was like if he was suffering some sort of transformation. It's muscle mass grew just like its muzzle and its fangs. The Hellhound was acquiring a gigantic size, to complete the transformation two more heads sprouted from its neck snarling and glaring at him with bloody eyes full of wrath.

"What the fudge is this sheet?" Ash yelled trying to lift himself up.

"It's Kerberus true form!" Madame Leotte shouted from the hiding place that Finn found for her before jumping into the battle. "That's why he's called the Infernal Beast, he's the guardian of the Underworld's gates!"

"Great! Now, how can we beat him?" the ex-human asked holding his sword with both hands in front of him.

"No idea knave, time to be creative!" the curl-haired woman replied not really giving him much encourage.

Finn clenched his teeth staring at the enormous three-headed hound circling around him, preparing itself to leap over him whenever it wanted. What could he do? The boy doubted that his sword could inflict any significant damage by just slashing it at the monstrous dog. A drop of sweat fell from his forehead, instinct told him to search for a weak point but that beast didn't seemed to have any. He'll have to find it in battle.

The young hero didn't wait for the beast to make its move, instead he charged at it holding his blade behind him and slashed its right frontal paw. The Hellhound growled showing rage but no signs of pain causing Finn to shriek angrily and stab one of its toes. Suddenly he was lifted onto the air; the blue-eyed boy wasn't focusing on the third head to his left and it bit his back to pull him up.

The third one shook its neck playing with its prey while the other two heads snarled and fought to catch a piece of the hero.

"Oh no, knave!" Leotte gasped watching the whole scene "Don't let them eat your soul, if that happens you'll vanish from the universe!"

"No, he can't free himself!" Ash replied crouching next to the crystal ball "He needs help!"

The ghastly woman frowned and turned to look at him "And what are you waiting for?" she yelled scolding him "You want to do something good in your pathetic life? Go and save that boy!"

Finn felt dizzy, not just because he was being shook in every random direction but because of those dog's dreadful saliva smell. Finally the head on the center bit the one that was holding him on its neck forcing it to release their dinner. When the boy fell his sword slipped from his grasp and was now out of his reach "Oh, for the love of Gro-…!" he was about to complain when he felt a terrible amount of pressure over his chest.

The infernal beast was pushing him down with its paw; each head licked its muzzle ready to sink their fangs on Finn's soul. The head on the center growled and barked at the others claiming for the first bite and then flung towards its prey.

"_Ashicous Blowicus_!" The undead wizard shouted casting a powerful blow spell at the attacking head before it could even scratch the ex-human boy. Ash chuckled proudly noticing that his move actually harmed the beast but he didn't sense the other heads glaring at him. Kerberus waved its giant tail and slammed the grey-skinned punk against the rocky walls "Well… I tried…" Ash whispered before fainting.

"No Ash! Man, are you okay?" Finn shouted still under the Hellhounds paw "Yo! Big doggy! Just let me grab my sword and I'll give you a real battle!" he yelled struggling to free himself from under Kerberus's weight.

The infernal beast didn't wait more and attacked his prey ripping off something from him. Finn groaned closing his eyes but then realized that he wasn't feeling any pain "What the?" the dog missed, between its wet fangs Finn's precious green bag was being held carelessly "Put that down!" the boy ordered with irritation "All my stuff's inside it!"

As if it were listening to him the head on the center began to shake the backpack just to bother its victim, all of Finn's adventuring equipment along with other few useless things were scattered around him. The two heads on each side of the monstrous beast bared their fangs leaning forward. They were going to finish him off while the other head continued to play with the bag. "Gob no! I need a miracle!" Finn shouted feeling the furry muzzles over him "Dad this will be a good moment to appear, you know?" he pleaded clenching his eyes and teeth. There was no way out now, the two dog heads were already breathing in his face.

The main head spat the backpack willing to join the feast but as soon as it hit the ground, a golden music box adorned with two bulldogs of the same hue bounced out of the torn bag producing some random musical notes as it rolled towards Finn. Kerberus froze lifting its three heads with curiosity and releasing the young hero in the process.

Finn grabbed his mother's music box and embraced it tightly; the three-headed dog sat and stared at him with its six serene eyes…Serene eyes? The ex-human glanced at the music box and then at the beast "Could it be?" he wondered grabbing the golden lever slowly playing its song for a second. Kerberus lifted its ears and its features became soft and it began to pant sticking its tongues out like a regular dog.

"Finn!" Madame Leotte called eagerly "Music soothes the savage beast!, play that thing now and charm this one with it!"

"B-but I don't like to do it in public…" he moaned causing the old woman to frown at him "All right, all right! Here goes…" the ex-human sighed and started turning the golden lever again.

"_Don't be weepy sleepy puppies  
Slip your slippers on your footies  
In the morning you'll get goodies  
Puppy hats and puppy hoodies"_

The infernal beast yawned with all his heads at the same time and lied down lowering its eye lids, its tail was being waved softly following the tender melody's rhythm.

"_No stripes or polk-a-dots  
Heather grey and feather soft  
Baby pink or baby blue...  
All the draw strings you can chew..." _

The song ended and Finn opened his eyes to stare at the Hellhound, the giant creature sat back and leaned its heads towards him but not in a menacing way. The young hero then, lifted his arm carefully and patted the main head sweetly "That's it…" he whispered "Good boy…"

Kerberus waved its tail happily and licked Finn's whole body with its large smelly tongue "Ugh…" the boy gasped finding itself bathed in sticky infernal saliva and tapped the beast's nose slightly "Yeah, you are good boy…"

"So you've found yourself another pet it seems!" Leotte laughed in relief "Thank Grod, you were saved by a miracle! But you'll play with your dog later, the masked mas escaped with the cosmic radar and let me remind you…he still carries my skull with him!"

"Crab that's right!" the blonde boy yelled "We must stop him before he crosses the gates!" Kerberus grabbed Finn with its maw and threw him onto its back "Whoa, hey you're helping us now?" the three heads nodded "Algebraic! Let's go get that guy!"

**00:21:42 minutes left…**

/

The black hooded man stared at the river flowing fast and aggressive, to cross the gates he needed Kerberus's help but he wasn't counting with the fact that the human boy would actually follow them through the Underworld after being killed and worst, he wasn't expecting him to reach them in time and turn the Infernal beast into a crying puppy. Now had only one option, jump into the current and swim to get pass through the gates. There was just one problem; the river of Hate was made of acid.

He heard the loud steps of the gigantic canine echoing in the distance, getting closer. No option, he'll have to jump. "Don't you even think about it!" It was Finn's voice yelling but he wasn't supposed to arrive so fast! The masked man raised his head searching for the boy in every direction until he glimpsed his figure flying towards him from behind. But how did he manage to do that?

"I'M A CAT! A VERY AGILE CAT!" the ex-human cried connecting a hard kick on his foe's chest knocking him down. The three-headed beast arrived moments later seizing its former master on the ground. "No escape Masked man! Give me the cosmic radar and Mrs. Brice's skull now or I swear I'll make you swallow my sword!" the young hero ordered angrily pointing the man with the tip of his blade.

The silver-masked guy laughed taking out the skull from his pocket "You want it? GO GET IT!" he shouted throwing Leotte's skull into the furious waters.

Kerberus released him and ran after it being the only creature capable of resisting the corrosive waters of the cursed river. Finn growled following the flying skull with his blue eyes and then turned around willing to stab the man with the Family's sword but the blade only hit the cold ground. "What the plob? Where ARE YOU?" he yelled looking around for his enemy. His maniacal laughter guided his gaze towards the end of the river.

"Fare thee well, human!" the masked man shouted disappearing through the Underworld Gates, taking the cosmic radar with him.

Finn collapsed on his knees punching the ground in desperation "Darn I'VE FAILED!"

"Aw man…that's bad…" Ash said arriving to his side carrying Madame Leotte in his hands.

"YOU!" An angry voice screeched followed by a strange figure that charged against the undead wizard.

"Auw not again…." Ash groaned painfully twisting his body on the ground "My boing loings…"

"Stop crying like a baby and prepare to die like a man!" the voice ordered grabbing the punk's shirt and lifting him over her head.

"Ma-ma…Marceline?" Finn whispered scratching his eyes in disbelief "It's you! What are you doing here?" he asked standing up in excitement.

"Trying to get you back to life!" another familiar voice said chuckling.

Finn's eyes widened even more "Y-you are Clarence, right?" the ghost nodded grinning at him and Finn smiled back. Ash's cries begging for mercy forced the ex-human to turn and ran towards the vampire who was strangling him fiercely.

"Marcy no! Please stop!" Finn said pulling her shirt "It's okay, he's cool…"

"Cool? This piece of …BUTT?" Marceline replied still holding her ex-boyfriend by his neck and then dropped him in resignation "You're lucky Finn's here!" she muttered kicking his head.

The vampire walked towards human boy shifting her bothered expression to a sweeter one "You idiot, why did you have to die?" Marceline said calmly "Do you have any idea of how distressed the other guys are because of you?" she tried to pat his head but because she still had a body the boy was untangible for her "You know? If it wasn't because you're ghost now I would've kissed your stupid face" she laughed "Come we have to go…"

"Wait, the masked man!" Finn replied anxiously "I was supposed to stop him from escaping to the world of the living! H-he even took the cosmic radar with him!" the blonde boy lowered his gave "I've failed…How are we going to find the rest of the cosmic weapons now? We are doomed…"

"Forget about that!" the Vampire Queen yelled frowning at him "We'll be screwed if we don't leave this place now!" She stared at him with a serene smile "We'll find out a solution later, right now focus on getting back to live!" "Hey I didn't risk my immortality just to see you complaining!"

"You did what?" he exclaimed with concern "Marcy! Are you-?"

"Crazy? Yeah, Jake and Bonnibel were drove me insane crying for you, now we need to find a fast way to get us back to Death's castle because we are…" she closed her eyes trying to figure how much time they had left "Holy shit! We don't have time!" the vampire shouted pulling her long black hair in frustration.

"Hey kids!" Madame Leotte called from the ground "This doggy here can take us there, now…GET MOVING!"

**00:01:11 minutes left**

/

The Hellhound soared across the Underworld panting heavily while Finn, Marceline, Clarence and Ash traveled on its back. They were getting closer to the river of Fire…

**00:00:54 seconds left…**

The three-headed beast jumped across the burning with hell ease, once on the other side Finn glanced at the lonely silhouette of the Flame King and the idea taking him with them flashed in his mind.

"Flame King!" the young hero shouted grabbing Kerberus's mane with one hand and extending the other towards the fire elemental as the hound approached to him "Take my hand, I'll take you to your daughter!"

The flaring ruler's eyes stared at him reluctantly, could he really get back to life as well? It was a golden opportunity; the fireball lifted his armored arm and Finn pulled him over the beast's back.

**00:00:23 seconds left… **

Kerberus landed after jumping from the Wall of Strive and leaped to make his way across the Valley of restless souls, passing next to the Caves of despair where Madame Leotte was held as prisoner for centuries. The old fortuneteller couldn't believe that she was finally going back to her beloved haunted mansion and her dear husband, well it all depended on the few seconds they had left.

**00:00:10 seconds left…**

The river of Sorrow was on sight, they didn't have golden coins but what the hell does it matter if they had the Guardian of the Underworld's gates to get them through? The dog hopped swiftly over Kcharon's boat while Finn, Marcy, Clarence and Ash stuck their tongues out at him. How could they joke in moment like this? Don't ask me.

**00:00:06 seconds left…**

Ash opened the portal towards the Land of the dead; all they had to do now was to hope that Kerberus's paws were fast enough to drive them across the bony wasteland in just five freaking seconds.

**00:00:04 seconds left…**

Finn recognized the area; they were getting closer to the cursed barrier, could it stop them now? No, of course not! The Hellhound increased its running speed and broke through the barrier shattering it in pieces. If only they could have been able to do something similar earlier, Marceline sighed watching the flying crystals scatter in the ground.

**00:00:03 seconds left…**

"FASTER DOGGY, FASTER!" Marceline ordered kicking the dog's sides.

Death's Castle of Light was shining in the horizon. They were almost there.

**00:00:02 seconds left…**

Princess Bubblegum grabbed Jake and embraced him eagerly almost squeezing his eyes out of his face. Two grains remained inside the crystal hourglass and one of them fell to join the others. "No, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" she cried kicking the floor.

**00:00:01 second left…**

The world around them froze; sixty microseconds ran in slow motion in front of their tired eyes. Their hearts jumped out of their chests spreading their blood at an unhealthy speed across their bodies, their heads were about explode. The time was about to finish its count when…

The crystal walls of Death's castle explode as a giant beast fell through them rolling and crashing with the other end of the light palace. The gang's jaws dropped, was that beast going to kill them now or what?

**00:00:00 Time's up.**

* * *

**Author notes:**

Am I the only who thinks that Jake's face at the end of Burning low was hilarious?, anyway here's the new chapter and I hope you have enjoyed it.

Thanks everyone for the reviews, that's what helps me when I'm blocked with a chapter :)

As always, suggestions,complaints or whatever you need to say, feel free to review.

Guest: Think of FP's transformation as tall as you consider right, I can't really tell you a excact number cause I'll have to measure her and that could be really dangerous...


	24. Reunions & discussions!

Tale 24: Something wicked this way comes! Epilogue: Reunions & discussions!

Billy's hand held Nothung tightly as he walked forward; his green eyes were fixed on the panting giant three-headed beast that was lying before him. The legendary hero raised his sword ready to stab it in case the infernal hound tried to attack him, the animal just stared at him and sighed dropping its heads and closing its eyes with a soft moan. Billy felt confused by the monster's strange behavior but he couldn't take any chances, they had already lost a friend and he wouldn't allow another bloody killing to happen. The cosmic blade was held high and then slashed down with a powerful blow.

"_CLANG!" _

Nothung clashed unexpectedly with another metal weapon, which blocked the deadly blow. The hero's eyes widened and a surprise gasp escaped from his throat. The other blade was Marceline's axe-bass.

"Hey Froggy chill out, you could have killed this lil' puppy, you know?" the black haired girl said standing up from behind the exhausted demon dog. She looked tired, her clothes were slighted ripped and several scratches covered her pale skin but she was grinning and more important than that, she was alive, well not alive but she wasn't dead either…she was okay.

"Marceline?" Princess Bubblegum whispered from the other side of the Light castle "Is…is that really you?" she couldn't believe it, did Marceline really made in time?

"Well yeah, who were you expecting? The pizza guy?" she joked "We'll bring the mortal's soul in two hours or you get keep the Vampire Queen's immortality in your pocket and your cash, seems like a good offer, right?"

"If you're joking with that then, you must have succeeded…" the legendary hero smiled tapping the vampire's shoulder.

"Marceline, where…where's Finn?" Jake the dog asked walking towards her, his big black eyes were filled with concern and fear.

"Hey bro, I'm right here!" Finn's cheerful voice replied as his blonde head popped out from behind Kerberus sturdy body "Don't tell me that you're about to cry like a "boom boom" baby!" he laughed.

The golden bulldog's jaw dropped and literally reached the floor, his little human brother was standing in front of him, it was a miracle. Jake covered his face and started to cry loudly with an overwhelming combination of joy and relief while the rest of the gang just stood there, watching him with astonished faces.

Finn felt awkward and scratched the back of his head saying "Hey guys…are you just gonna stand there and watch me all day?"

"FINN!" the small group of people shouted running and jumping over him willing to squeeze his guts out with a hug but when they were about embrace him, their bodies passed right through his making the gang fall over each other on the ground.

"Careful guys, look at the halo over his head!" Clarence the ghost laughed floating around them "It indicates that he's neither a phantom or a ghoul, he's a spirit on its pure form lacking of a material body.

"I have a what over my head?" the blonde boy replied raising his eyes in an attempt to see the glowing ring above him.

"Oh no! My bro turned into an angel!" Jake cried again "Please don't go back to Glob World, I don't want you to be my guardian angel just yet!"

"Don't be fool dog, that halo is just a sign like this ghost said, it'll disappear once Death grants him his body and brings him back to life…"

The magical dog froze and blinked in confusion "Is this? Crystal ball talking to me?" he asked pointing the annoyed ghastly woman that Finn was holding.

"Oh, right!" Finn chuckled "Guys, Madame Leotte. Madame Leotte, the guys!" he noticed that his short introduction wasn't very informative "Ugh…remember the weird guy from the creepy mansion? She's his missing wife!"

"So…she is the Lady Leotte from the tombstone?" Bubblegum asked crouching in front of the crystal ball to see it better.

"Please, don't use that title with me…" Leotte replied with a dull tone "It reminds me of my youth, when I was beautiful and alive…" now she was speaking in a nostalgic way.

"Ooops, sorry…" the candy princess apologized giving her a confused stare.

"I would like to know when are we going to get our bodies back!" a deep strong voice shouted startling everyone in the process.

"W-wait…Finn is that?" Jake made a few steps backwards pointing the flaring figure that materialized in front of them "F-Flame King? Wasn't he dead, man?"

"Yep, he's dead!" the young hero replied smiling at the yellow dog "Just like me, but I brought him with me cause…you know…" his cheeks blushed slightly "I want Flame Princess to have her father back…"

"Ohh…I see what you did there!" the dog joked elbowing or pretended to elbow his adoptive brother's forearm "Scoring more points with your princess, huh? Naughty boy…"

"Shut up…it's not like that…" Finn flushed frowning at Jake in annoyance.

The copper-armored fire elemental had a halo above his head as well but didn't seem to care about it and walked towards the nervous gang holding his arms behind his back "So I'll have to deal with all of you again…" he groaned "But don't worry, I'm working on my social skills, now I know that no matter how pathetic and useless other people are, magnificent entities like myself are bound to aid them ignoring our sense of pride…"

"If that means that you're not going to roast us…Awesome!" Jake exclaimed hiding behind Susan's leg.

"Well, well, well…" a gloomy voice echoed inside the castle's walls "Looks like the Vampire Queen made it in the last second…" Death appeared in a cloud of white smoke holding his sickle menacingly "How irritating, that human soul and her immortality could have been mine…" he complained squinting his eyes.

"Well a deal is a deal, right?" Marceline taunted him placing her fists on her hips "Hurry up and bring them back to life, we have a psycho to chase!"

Death growled almost unperceptively and walked to Finn mumbling Glob knows what angrily. The boy stared at the skeleton nervously when he pointed him with his silver sickle "Don't move!" Death ordered and slashed Finn's chest with it making him bend down in pain. The gang reacted offensively but Madame Leotte kept them at distance glaring at them. "Don't be such a baby, stand up Finn the Human!"

The blonde boy stood up slowly noticing that all his lost senses were coming back and then stared at his open palms with curiosity, he slapped his face and felt pain, he rubbed his bitten neck and the mortal wound that Kerberus gave him was gone, he checked his arms, chest and face realizing that the burns were healed. His body was good as new. "Am I…alive?" Finn wondered glancing at Death.

"Yes…congratulations and…stuff…" the skeleton answered shaking hands with him. The halo above his golden hair faded away slowly.

Finn couldn't articulate a word, his body started shivering with excitement, joy was built up inside his chest and he exploded "YEAH! WOW-COW-CHOW!"

Death sighed and walked away bothered by Finn's sudden outburst of happiness, his pride was still hurt by Marceline's victory on him "I'll open a portal so you can get the flip out of here and leave me alone once and for all…"

The human boy stopped his celebration and ran towards the skeleton gardener "Wait…what about Flame King? Aren't you going to bring him back too?" he asked standing before him.

"Huh? Why should I do that?" Death replied glaring at him "The Vampire Queen went after your soul not after the fire elemental, his soul belongs to me!"

"What?" Finn shouted not believing what he just heard "B-but he…but you…you must…" he stammered nervously.

Marceline floated to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder "Let me take care of this" she whispered winking at him "Death we had a deal, remember?" the vampire began circling around the skeleton.

"That deal is closed now, lump off vampire!" he stated angrily and frowned at her ominously "Do not abuse of your luck…"

"Shhh…shhh…Calm down…" she whispered snatching his gardener hat to blow some air at him "Relax, who's abusing?" Marceline replied "I clearly remember that our deal was: Give me two hours to search for Finn in every dead world and if I don't manage to find him in that time, you'll win my immortality but if I win, you'll give us what we want!" a smirk was drawn on her pale face "I never specified what I wanted you to give me, you just assumed that it was Finn's soul and nothing more!"

Princess Bubblegum smiled in amusement "Marceline is such a trickster and for once I'm glad she is!" the princess lowered her gaze to stare at Jake "Who would have thought that she could pull a legal gap from under her sleeve?"

"You CHEATER!" Death yelled furiously hitting the ground with his sickle.

"Ha! You didn't see that coming, right dear?" the Vampire Queen laughed leaning close to him and sticking out her forked tongue "Now, I want you to bring the hot-headed king back to life as well, c'mon hurry!"

Death didn't wish to argue with the vampire again, he had a terrible headache and just wanted to get rid of the troublesome mortals that invaded his castle so he decided to obey hurting his pride even more. The Flame King was revived and now his fire was dangerous again causing him to laugh loudly, the gang stared at the flare ruler grinning nervously but his return wasn't something to feel bad about. Now that the Fire Kingdom had an alliance with the other kingdoms his return would mean great news for everyone and maybe bring a ray of hope into the hearts of the Ooocians by showing them that even during their darkest hours, those who dared to fight back searching for justice could overcome any threat that may harm them, including death itself. The Lich will not prevail and the eight heroes-to-be will battle against everything to make that happen.

Death's silver sickle slashed the air opening a blue portal "Leave now…" he ordered.

"Wait!" the Flame King yelled harshly "Why haven't I seen my daughter? Where is she?" the fireball flew and landed in front of Finn to glare at him "You told me that you'd take me to her!"

Finn stepped back in fear feeling the heat burning his skin, how was he supposed to know where Flame Princess was if the last time he saw her she was with the gang? "F-Flame King…" he began, searching for the right words to explain his situation. The boy gave him a forced grin "Your daughter, well…I don't kno-…" his words were cut off, not because he couldn't come up with an excuse but because his chest was impacted by a fiery comet that drove him through the air until he crashed against the last wall of Death's castle that didn't have a hole.

The gang including Death and the Flame King ran following the trail of flames and peeked through the melted hole in the crystal wall, when the cloud of smoke disappeared his friends sighed with relief finding out that the boy was okay. Finn's body was dragged a few meters creating a trench on the ground, at the end of it the human boy lied on the dirt embraced by a young fire elemental girl.

It took him a while to understand what just happened and he smiled warmly once he did.

Flame Princess buried her face on his chest, Finn could hear her sobbing and tapped her shoulder trying to make her look at him but she didn't "Hey… Flame P are you crying?" he asked feeling the tears crisping his shirt. She just shook her head to deny it causing the blonde boy to chuckle "Hey, I know you're lying!"

Flame Princess shook her head again "Are you okay?" Finn inquired. He was worried because she was not speaking, she probably wanted to hide her crying but it wasn't working. Flame P nodded in response making him chuckle again "Let's stand up then!" he suggested but the fiery girl shook her head pressing it deeper against him "Tell me, are we going to lie on the ground forever?"

She nodded making him laugh, "Flame Princess, you know we can't do that, c'mon let's go up!" the red haired girl tightened her grip on him and rejected the order balancing her head from side to side "Okay…" he sighed in defeat "What do you want me to do? Do you wanna talk?" he felt her shaking her head to give him a silent "no" again "Do you want me to carry you?" the princess made another no on his chest.

Finn thought for a moment and leaned his head to whisper in her ear "Do you want a kiss?" Flame P nodded making him blush and then she raised her head to stare at his face.

"For a moment…" she spoke for the first time since their separation "I thought I'd never see you again…"

"Me too…" the human boy replied leaning in "all of this has been so freaking crazy and I just wanted to be with you…" They closed their eyes feeling each other's breath getting closer; their lips were almost touching when…

"FINN THE KNAVE!" the Flame King shouted materializing just in front of the young couple.

Finn reacted goofily pushing the girl away with a sudden movement; he had forgotten about her father not wanting him to like-like her and he had omitted the fact that he was now her boyfriend "S-sup, Flame King?" he said pretending that nothing important was about to happen. Flame Princess on the other hand stared at Finn with confusion, obviously not understanding his reaction, and then she saw a flickering light getting closer. Knowing that it wasn't being flashed by her own flames the red haired girl turned around and gasped in astonishment watching her deceased father frowning at her with his arms crossed.

"F-father…you are…" her flames grew brighter "You are alive!" she yelled springing upwards and into his arms. The king wasn't sure of how to react; of course he was happy of seeing his daughter again but for royalty, such display of affection wasn't allowed in public, specially for a king who had to remain firm and strict at all times.

The fire elemental sighed in defeat; after all he knew that his daughter was a little bit ignorant and unaware of courtesy rules, a princess should act with diplomacy, but maybe she didn't even know the meaning of that word being her only education to remain locked in the lamp and watch her father's everyday duties from the ceiling.

He wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her slightly above his head; the king stared at his daughter's smile remembering how much he wished to see her when he was dead. Flame princess was glowing intensely, she was happy to see him and he wondered why. What kind of things had she learned traveling with the knave and the Vampire Queen? There was no way for him to know that.

Flame King smiled back at his daughter and placed her back on the ground carefully "It's good to have you again…" he said messing her flowing hair and then glared at the human boy lying behind him.

"I warned you, didn't I?" the fireball muttered staring at him. "I don't want you getting too affectionate with my daughter!"

"B-but…but you told me to hug her, remember?" Finn replied grinning nervously.

"I can do that now, thank you…" the king answered harshly and then leaned narrowing his eyes "But I didn't tell you to kiss her, right?"

The blonde boy gulped standing up, now he wasn't very sure if bringing the Flame King back to life was a good idea, but what the heck? She looked happy with her father, how could he take that away from her only for the sake of their relationship?

"Is that something bad?" Flame Princess's voice asked driving Finn out of his thoughts "Cause it's like the third time we-…" the human ran over and covered her mouth with his hand startling her.

"Third time?" her father whispered glancing them, "THIRD TIME? Three **is** more than one!" he shouted expanding his flames "Tell me knave, what's the meaning of this?" the king demanded angrily.

"Oh, father it's been wonderful! Finn's so nice to me!" Flame P replied freeing herself from the boy's grip while he tried to silence her placing his index finger over his mouth "I never thought that someday I'd find a boyfriend like him!" Finn felt like fainting.

"Boyfriend? This knave is your…BOYFRIEND?" Flame King yelled in disbelief. The gang was watching the whole scene from the distance, obviously that fuss had started catching everyone's attention.

The Flame Princess nodded joyfully grabbing Finn's arm and pulled him closer to her. The human boy was melting with fear while he stared at the giant fire elemental's frown.

"Well…" the Flame King shrugged changing his expression to a relaxed one "If that makes you happy…"

Flame P's golden eye's shined brightly as she hugged a very confused Finn tightly, was the Flame King serious?

"Hey! Make some space, I wanna hug that boy too!" Jake shouted jumping over the couple followed by the rest of the gang.

"Yay! Group hug!" the Ice King yelled letting himself fall over Finn.

Surrounded or should I say squeezed by Susan, Jake, Marceline, Bubblegum, awkwardly by the Ice King, Gunter, his hero and his girlfriend, Finn had never felt so happy and grateful of being alive.

/

After telling the gang about his journey in the Underworld and about the masked man escaping with the cosmic radar, the heroes-to-be were once again ready to leave on their quest. Death opened a new portal towards the world of the living and literally kicked them out of his Light castle.

"Hey! Don't forget about me, I'm under this infernal dog's buns!" Ash yelled, as he was indeed being crushed under the sleepy Kerberus's butt. "Please help me!" the grey skinned punk shrieked.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" Marceline replied sarcastically lifting her face and placing her arm on her forehead dramatically "My bad, by the way you still owe me two million dollars and I haven't seen Hambo either, that's how you want me to help you?"

"Yeah, I mean no! Just take me out of here Mar-Mar!" the undead wizard groaned.

"Kerberus come here baby!" the Vampire Queen sang calling the three-headed dog and scratched one of its ears "Now you stay with Death, okay?" the Hellhound nodded sitting beside her.

"Okay the party's over! All of you… OUT!" the Underworld's ruler ordered pushing the gang through the portal "And don't you dare to come back unless you get killed!"

"Bye guys, good luck!" Clarence yelled waving good-bye at them.

"Tell Ghost Princess in the 50th Dead World that I said hi!" Finn replied yelling as well before disappearing inside the portal.

"Don't worry, I will!" the ghost said smiling back and then stared at Death "Finn must be a really lucky guy, don't you think so?"

The skeleton glanced at him "Yeah…lucky…" he turned his head "Shouldn't you be returning to your own dimension too?"

Clarence laughed calmly "Sure, I'm leaving now!" he drifted away slowly and the stopped to gaze at the Underworld's ruler again "Hey Death, I think you'll need a bunch of newspapers!"

"Newspapers? For what?" Death inquired looking around "Oh Grod! Kerberus! Not on the carpet! Yeeew…Bad dog! BAD!"

/

The portal took them back to where they started, the amusement park, only that now; it looked way more desolated and gloomy especially under the crescent moon's glow. The Lich had consumed that part of the land already, how many more were still left? Time wasn't on their side.

Finn was determined on breaking Madame Leotte's curse before going to hunt the masked man, after all, she and Mr. Brice had been a great help during this whole mess and so the gang decided to follow him back to the haunted manor where they found something that they weren't really expecting.

"Heeeeeey Guuuuuuuuuys!" Guess who it was…

"Lumpy Space Princess!" they gasped with eyes and mouth wide opened. And it wasn't just her; Finn could swear that the whole Candy Kingdom was there, waiting for them. The people were camping around the Black Widow's Mansion holding signs with messages of encouragement and funny drawings.

Princess Bubblegum ran towards her people, she hadn't check on them since she left them on the city's graveyard at the start of their quest. The princess sat on the ground to hug and greet her beloved subjects. Starchy, Chocoberry, Mr. Cupcake, Peppermint Butler and everybody else cheered and struggled to be embraced their sweet ruler. After losing everything they had, Bubblegum was the only living memory of their once prosperous kingdom and she promised them she'll do her best to get it back.

Susan also had the chance to meet her tribe again, the Hyoomen howled joyfully and ran to embrace her, she had missed them so much that she didn't doubt on messing everyone's animal hat fur and yell an eager "hi there!" at them.

Tree Trunks walked towards Finn with a sincere smile on her face "Oh Finn, we are so glad to have you back! When we found out that you had died…" the small elephant sobbed, "It was horrible…I hadn't cried so desperately since I left my oven on and my pies got all burned and charred…"

Finn was touched by Tree Trunks' tears and squat down to hug her "It's okay, I'm here now…alive n' kicking!" the boy exclaimed trying to give some comfort to her weak heart.

"Kicking butts!" Jake replied walking next to them "Don't worry Tree Trunks, I promise that I won't let my little bro die in battle again!"

"Oh guys…" the old pachyderm said staring at them with bright twinkling eyes "I wish I could bake you a pie right in this moment!"

The yellow bulldog began to rub his belly "Yeah it's a shame…you can't imagine how hungry we are!" his stomach growled loudly.

"이리와, 내가 너희들에게 음식보다 더 좋은 걸 줄게!"

"What could be better than food?" Jake muttered still not realizing who was speaking to him "Is there something better than fo-…" he cut himself off with a surprised gasp "Sweet mother of bacon! Baby is that you?" Lady Rainicorn giggled watching the stunned dog in front of her; she trotted to wrap her long body around him and squeezed him placing a smooch on his cheek "Oh…that's better than food…" the magical dog whispered completely dazed by his girlfriend's welcome.

Lumpy Space Princess drifted close to Finn who was now sharing a bro fist with Mannish Man and greeting Flambo by waving his hand at him, she tapped his shoulder impatiently and waited with her arms crossed until he turned to pay attention to her. The purple cloud immediately slapped his cheek turning his face to the opposite side. The human boy jumped away rubbing his the red mark that was painted under his eye and stared at the fifteen year-old with a flustered look "Crup, L.S.P! What was that for?" he complained.

"Were you expecting me to hug you and kiss you like everybody else after you scared the lumps out of me?" she screamed raising her arms angrily "You let yourself get killed by some stupid dog! And then you just come back from the dead smiling and acting like if it was nothing! What about my feelings, you idiot?"

Finn received the shouting with a blank expression on his hurt face "Ugh…L.S.P…I have no idea of what are you talking about…"

"Yeah, me neither…" she replied suddenly changing her mood "Come here and hug my lumps you jerk!" the lumpy princess said squeezing him eagerly. "You know? This was all my idea! I totally saw you coming back to live and said: Let's go everyone, let's wait for them on that creepy house using this curved witch's teleporting spell and party hard!"

"Great idea!" the boy exclaimed grinning softly at her.

"So my army is now responsible of the other shelter's safety?" the Flame King's deep voice asked calling the young hero's curiosity to the other corner of the manor's graveyard.

The copper-armored fire being was surrounded five soldiers kneeling before him, Flame Princess, Bubblegum, Marceline and the Lumpy Space King/Queen seemed to be discussing with him. Finn pushed L.S.P away delicately placing his index finger on his mouth and crawled carefully to listen at them better.

The Lumpy Space Princess followed him sneaking to the improvised royal meeting with her gaze and raised her hands to her cheeks "Gossip!" she whispered floating behind Finn without him noticing it.

"That's right, those were my orders…" Flame Princess answered, her voice lacked of her usual playfulness. "I suppose that since you're back, Princess Bubblegum is your ally and not mine so, everything is up to you now."

The king nodded holding his chin thoughtfully "Yes, indeed my dear…" he glanced her and chuckled "Don't give me that worried look, I granted you that power and I'm willing to trust your judgments!" the other royal members sighed with relief causing him to snort "I know I have a bad reputation, stop throwing it at my face!"

"Can't help it…" Marceline replied with a smirk "So what? How are you going to proceed now?"

"How many shelters are left in Ooo? What's the land's status?" the giant fire elemental inquired.

"Majesty…" the fiery soldier's leader said raising his head while pressing his knee against the scorched ground around him "The latest reports we have gotten from the other rescue teams indicate that we've lost 62% of the land already, I'm afraid that the Lich has incremented his thirst for life force during the past weeks, on top of that…the zombie horde has expanded considerably making it impossible for us to control it. People has been forced to move into the Cloud Kingdom's shelter using flying spells, witches are becoming rich due to this.

A veteran candy colonel has recently opened another evacuating route that's been used to help the Ooocians reach the shelters on the Breakfast Kingdom, the Grocery Kingdom and the Cube village…that route leads also to the Fire Kingdom…" the concerned soldier lowered his gaze "Sir, we've sends patrols to investigate the land…the number of shelters is less than twenty…we should…"he scratched his head and gulped nervously "Let our kingdom become part of the shelters…"

"My kingdom! A shelter?" the king yelled raising his temper. He took a deep breath and tried to relax "Guess our time to aid the others has come…" the fire elemental said causing his daughter and the Bubblegum Princess to smile "Gather every subject who knows how to cast the flame shield and tell that candy colonel that the Fire Kingdom's shelter is now available for every displaced Ooocian who may need a place to stay!"

"Yes your majesty!" the soldier replied whooshing out of sight, he was later followed by his teammates.

"Great, that'll be a temporary solution to our problems but what about the real deal?" the Lumpy Space King asked while cleaning his glasses.

"That's right!" the lumpy queen replied turning her worried eyes towards Princess Bubblegum "Your plan won't keep us save unless you take the Lich King down…and besides the Vampire Queen and the hero Billy, most of you are nothing but kids who had never fought against someone as powerful as him!"

"Wait, you're not taking the Ice King in consideration…although we can say that dealing with him is like dealing with a kid…" Bubblegum replied "And Finn and Jake have battled against the Lich before!"

"Yeah but they couldn't defeat him, did they?" L.S.K said crossing his arms.

Their discussion caught Finn's attention again. He crouched and crawled silently to a close tombstone and hid behind it to listen carefully wondering what were the Lumpy rulers concerned about.

"Well no but…" PB muttered starting to feel flustered.

"But the point is that… we fear that this mission has become far too dangerous for you!" the purple king interrupted "And I'm telling you this as a father, Flame Princess and Finn are younger that our daughter! We would never dream of letting her go and risk her life in a quest like this one!"

"Oh, what the lump are you saying, dad?" L.S.P shouted behind Finn's back, startling him to death and causing him to cover her mouth with his hand. He waited for what seemed an eternity of silence holding the lumpy princess tight. Thankfully the members of Ooo's royalty were too busy arguing with each other to notice them.

The young human sighed with relief letting go of the Lumpy Space Princess "Are you crazy?" he scolded her quietly "This is supposed to be secret info, do you want the Flame King to roast us alive?"

"Well excuse me, Finn!" she replied whispering as well "Did you listen what he said? What the plum was he talking about?"

Finn shook his head in resignation and tried to listen again leaning to the gravestone. Accidentally he stepped on a dry branch breaking it with a cracking sound, the boy gasped hiding his face behind the tombstone and peeked carefully at the royal leaders.

He noticed that Marceline's pointy ear twitched and she turned her face searching for the sound's source, the human froze smiling nervously but the Vampire Queen just winked at him with a mischievous grin. Finn fell on his butt blowing another relieved sigh "Thank Gob that Marcy understands the importance of spying…" he whispered feeling more relaxed.

"Your daughter is nothing but a lumpy cloud of irradiated stardust while mine is a powerful force of destruction! She is capable of defending herself and fighting since birth!" the Flame King yelled confronting the Lumpy ruler.

"Yeah it's true, we've been dragged into a couple of brawls and she has endured them pretty well for a kid…" the vampire girl added patting Flame Princess's head "There's nothing to worry about! It's perfectly safe to-…"

"Look who's talking!" the Lumpy Space Queen replied with a frown "What can someone like you know about safety?" Marceline glared her and opened her mouth to reply but the Lumpy Space King spoke first. "Okay, fine! Flame Princess is a fire elemental and can defend herself… I got that! But what about Finn?"

"Well, duh! Haven't you seen that runt's fighting skills?" Marceline said, her words full of sarcasm.

"I agree with Marceline…" It was Princess Bubblegum talking now "Finn is quite a warrior, please! We all know that he loves battling monsters and adventuring, the boy's qualified to be a hero since he was, what? Ten years old?…Besides he and Jake make a great team!"

Finn smiled at the candy princess feeling proud of himself and grateful with her for speaking in his defense, but then the Lumpy King said something that almost broke his spirit down. Why did he have to mention things that get him all soul-searchy and weird? "But Finn is just a human!" Yeah he was a human, where's the big deal?

Bubblegum, Marceline and the Flame King's faces hardened making Finn wonder why didn't they start to argue back. Maybe being human was indeed a problem?

"Human?" Flame Princess's voice broke the silence lighting up the young hero's face again "What's the problem with Finn being…human?"

"Humans are a very delicate species" her father answered staring at her "Their bodies are weak and lack of resistance, they depended on their brains to survive and in a world were the strongest one prevails, well…why do you think that the few who remained on this planet were hunted to the point of extinction?"

"Oh, come on!" Marceline shouted raising her arms "Don't tell me now that you won't let him fight just because he's human! It has never mattered before!"

"Yeah, before he was killed!" the Lumpy Space King and Queen yelled back filling everyone's eyes with concern.

"They have a point…" Bonnibel Bubblegum whispered after a while causing Finn to feel disappointed. That could only mean that he wasn't good enough to be a hero just because of being born physically "weak" in contrast with many other creatures in Ooo.

"It doesn't matter…" Flame Princess replied staring at everyone "Tell me he's weak, tell me that he's got no resistance to endure whatever tries to harm him. I don't care and I know that he doesn't either…Finn has proved that to me many times before…" she started to play with her hands and smiled shyly "He can take it…"

The human boy stared at her with twinkling joyful eyes "F-Flame P… thank you…"

"Heck! She's right!" the Vampire Queen exclaimed pushing Bubblegum's back "Have a little faith on him, he's always saving your butts!" Finn felt the vampire's eyes on him for a second and then she placed them back at the royal leaders "I know that he was killed but it could have happened to any of us, that's just…inevitable! Come on people, he wants to be a hero and heroes need to put their lives at stake, besides since we decided to join this stupid quest we knew that there'd be always a chance of dying so stop quivering and let the kid do his thing!"

Princess Bubblegum sighed smiling weakly "Sorry for being such an umm… guess I was just concerned about him…" she raised her gaze towards the Lumpy rulers "Marceline just said it, we know this is dangerous but we are willing to face it. We don't have much time, the cosmic radar was stolen and if we don't hurry the other cosmic weapons will be taken away…if that happens no one will be able to stop the Lich so we'll be on our way." The princess turned to Marceline and Flame P "Let's go girls!"

The three girls walked apart at normal pace, the Flame King followed them with his gaze and stepped forward slightly "Princess Bubblegum, may I have a word with you?" the girls stopped and waited in silence "In private, if it isn't too much to ask…"

Bubblegum nodded and stared at her teammates "Sure, you two continue without me…I'll be right back!"

Finn watched her walking away with the fiery ruler, what the heck could he want to with Peebles in private? "…It's something concerning to my daughter…" he managed to catch as they passed by.

"About Flame Princess?" he whispered to himself curiously and decided to follow them secretly once again. The boy rolled on the ground hiding from gravestone to gravestone swiftly until he felt something grabbing his bag and pulling him backwards "What the?" he groaned angrily.

"Yo! Weenie, where do you think you are going, huh?" Marceline asked lifting him up still holding his backpack.

"Marceline!" Finn complained hanging from her grasp "Let me go, I gotta know what are they going to talk about!"

The Vampire Queen chuckled staring at him with amusement "Whoa, since when do the righteous hero likes to get his nose in things that are not his business?"

"Since they have to do with Flame P!" he replied anxiously.

"Hehehe, not until you place a ring a on her finger!" Marceline teased driving him to the other side of the graveyard where their friends were sitting and chattering "C'mon Mr. White knight, we'll make Bonnie spill the beans later!"

/

Starchy sank his shovel in the ground and lifted it to throw the dirt behind him, in front of him was a tombstone with the inscription "_Here lies Lady Leotte, master of all that is forbidden and called from beyond…." _When the chocolate ball's shovel hit something he proceeded to stab it next to the Ice King who was watching by his side and crouched to remove the dirt with his hands revealing a black wooden coffin.

"Well, she must be here!" Starchy said cleaning his forehead with a handkerchief.

"What are you insinuating, candy? Of course I'm there!" Madame Leotte shouted impatiently and then turned to look at Finn "What are you waiting for Knave? Do me the honor please!"

The boy obeyed and jumped into the pit, then he drew his sword and inserted the metal tip on a small opening to break the coffin open. A cloud of dust was lifted over them making everyone cough and sniff. When Finn managed to clear his vision a headless skeleton wearing a red long and torn dress appeared before him "Can this get any creepier?" the young hero complained taking off his bag and searched for the skull "Okay…here goes!" he placed the cranium where it belonged and the bones began to attach themselves mysteriously.

"Guess it could!" Marceline said leaning down to watch the strange process from a better view.

"Yes…it's working! I can feel it my…bones, haha!" the ghastly fortuneteller laughed happily "I'm going to be…!" the crystal ball sprung upwards all of a sudden while the gang followed it with their amazed eyes. The ball reached the crescent moon and exploded. A million pieces of glass fell like rain over the startled crowd and when they touched the ground, the shatters reconstructed themselves and the crystal ball rolled down to Finn's feet.

"L-Leotte? Are you okay?" the human boy asked lifting the transparent sphere, there was something strange inside it, in fact there was nothing inside it "Mrs. Brice…where are you?" he asked pocking and staring at the empty crystal ball.

"I'm FREE!" Madame Leotte's ghost yelled before crashing against the ground all the way down from the glowing moon. Another cloud of dust and dirt was lifted in the air making it difficult to see clearly.

"C-could that be true?" an excited voice questioned appearing from nowhere "Is this like one of my sweetest nightmares coming true?"

"Hey isn't that the guy who tried to kill Susan and friends with giant spider?" the blonde hyooman with a black cat hat asked pointing the ghoulish figure of Vincent drifting towards the opened grave.

"Yes it's true my dear, after centuries of imprisonment I'm finally back from the Underworld!" Madame Leotte replied to her husband walking out of the dusty cloud, she wasn't just a head anymore, her body had returned.

The two phantoms smiled at each other and rushed to embrace their long lost love, the gang stared at them feeling awkward but happy anyway. At least Finn had the opportunity to help someone not making his journey through the Underworld a total failure.

Madame Leotte stepped forward after making up with her husband and called the blonde boy with a gesture of her hand. Finn walked nervously noticing how tall she was in reality, probably even taller than Susan and thinner than Marceline. Her long black curls reached her waist and were stroked with shades of grey due to aging.

"Come closer boy, don't tell me that you're scared of me now!" she laughed pulling him by his shoulders "I just want to thank you for breaking my curse and bringing me back home, you have fulfilled the fake destiny I gave you back there in the Underworld but you must have in mind that you are part of something bigger." She crouched down to look at him in the eyes "I've seen your future, I know what trials await for you once you walk outside of my manor, it's going to be tough but don't let the vultures rip out your lovely eyes…"

"Rip out my-! What does that mean?" a very confused and disturbed Finn asked.

"It's a metaphor you stupid knave!" Leotte cleared her throat trying to make her voice sweeter after her outburst "It means that you must never allow others destroy you, even if you are lying on the cold ground after a nasty defeat… You must always try to be stronger than you think you are. I've seen two alternative futures that will change as you progress in your mission. One is catastrophic and the other is full of triumph, your actions and decisions will determine which will prevail in the end." The old fortuneteller made a small step backwards "Please Finn…don't lead to the first one…"

"I-I'll try not to…" he replied feeling a bit confused again "We have to go now…"

"Do you know where you'll be heading to?" the tall woman asked crossing her arms.

"Yeah, sure!" Jake replied stretching to Finn's side "We are going to chase that psycho who stole our radar…right?"

"Of course you will dog, but do you have any idea of how to find him?"

"Yes I…" the yellow dog answered scratching his head "We'll be…um…his scent, no I don't know his scent…ugh…no idea…"

"I thought so…" Leotte laughed walking towards her empty crystal ball and picked it up from the ground "I'm going to give you one last clue!" she said as she cleaned the crystal with her red sleeve "Come closer, all of you!"

The gang surrounded her fixing their eyes on her magic sphere; the ghost raised the ball with her hands and whispered something strange to make it levitate at the level of her chest. Then she placed her hands above the sphered chanting another weird spell "Yes…I can see now…"

Princess Bubblegum tilted her head "See what? There's nothing there!"

"Shut your pretty mouth smart gal, let me do my job!" the fortuneteller scolded her with another one of her usual outburst "The future can only be perceived by those who are born to do it…" she whispered as she continued with her ritual "Yes…I see…a road…tracks…"

"Do you mean a road made of tracks? Like a railway?" Marceline asked still staring at the crystal ball.

"Hmm…probably, but that's not your destination… I see…grass…lots of grass and a tree…there's something beneath it…something that he wants… and then there is a maze…he will be there waiting for you…"

"He who? The masked man?" Finn asked "Cause there are other things waiting for us there, you know?"

"To tell the truth I… I've got no freaking idea!" Leotte replied breaking the mystic air that had been surrounding her all the time "You must find a way to decipher what I just said."

"Well umm…" Bubblegum said stroking her chin "The fire army told us that Colonel Candy Corn opened a new evacuation road, he found that the Candy train could be of great use to transport all the refugees and he asked the fire soldiers and other Ooocian workers to rebuild the railroad along a secret rode that crosses all the remaining shelters designed by himself."

"Well that's a start, let's get moving to the station…by the way…" the vampire girl replied floating towards the park's exit "Someone knows where the station is?"

"North!" a happy voice with a 1940s Mid-Atlantic accent responded from inside the crystal ball.

"DAD!" Finn and Jake shouted rushing to the floating magic sphere excitingly.

"Hey boys, oh Finn you're alive! Good very good!" the grey hated dog replied.

"Joshua old dog! Who gave you permission to use my crystal ball to speak from Glob World?" Madame Leotte asked with an annoyed look.

"I gave myself permission old hag!" Joshua laughed.

"Dad?" Finn spoke with disappointment "I couldn't stop that guy…even though I promised you-…"

"Nah! Nah!" his adoptive father interrupter "Don't say another word, no son of mine is going to feel pity for his actions! You did an excellent job and I'm proud of you!"

"Hey dad, do you know where that masked man is going to?" Jake questioned pushing his brother apart "This old lady here won't speak clearly!"

"Nope, no idea son!" Joshua said simply.

"Wha? Then what are you doing here?" Both brothers asked struggling to watch the crystal ball at the same time.

"Can't a father just pass by to greet his children?" the dog joked, "Oh my, it's late! I'd better go before that four-faced guy realizes that I'm trespassing dimensions again, hehe!" his image began to vanish slowly "Take care boys and please…don't get killed again!"

"Bye dad…" Finn and Jake whispered once their father was gone.

/

"Come on, come on!" the Lumpy Space Princess shouted pushing the refugees into a snoring raccoon portal towards her kingdom "Move it people, the party is over!"

"Hehe!" the Ice King laughed giving Gunter a shovel "There, you're now Gunter the Gravedigger! Sounds professional, huh?"

"Wenk!" the penguin replied squinting his eyes with irritation and dropped the shovel on the wizard's foot.

"Auch! You little insolent son of a blip-blop! I'm just trying to find you a good job and this is how you repay me?" he cried angrily "I can't keep maintaining you! You eat way too much, mister fatty botty!" the blue man complained grabbing him and flying to the amusement park's exit with his flapping beard.

"F-Finn..." a soft voice called him young hero turned around to find the Raggedy Princess holding something over her head "That grey skinned punk tossed this into the trashcan, I washed it and sew it for you!"

Finn grabbed it opening his eyes widely "Raggedy Princess! Thanks!" the boy exclaimed full of gratefulness "It's my hat! I thought I would never see it again!"

"Now you look more like yourself!" the princess replied watching the boy covering his head with the white bear hat "Well...um...that's all...Good luck Finn..."

"Yeah, thanks!" he said giving her a thumb up while he ran to catch up with his friends.

"Preparations complete Princess!" Peppermint Butler exclaimed happily.

The bubblegum princess chuckled "What preparations silly? It's just walking from here…"

"I know but I like to say that every time you leave!" he replied bowing slightly.

"Hey Bonnibel!" the Vampire Queen yelled from the distance were the rest of the gang was waiting for her "Are you coming or what?"

"Yeah just give me a second!" the princess shouted back "I have to go Peppermint…it was good to see you again!" she said smiling at him warmly.

"Was it good to see me too?" Cinnamon Bun asked stepping out from a dry bush.

"Sure CB, it's always nice to see that my subjects are doing fine!" Bubblegum answered patting his head softly and causing him to giggle, "I'll be back, I promise!" the princess said running to join her teammates.

"Please take care Princess!" her loyal assistant yelled waving her good-bye.

Cinnamon Bun sighed turning around to use the lumpy portal "I hope that everything goes back to normal, it would be nice to have a party after all of this is over…Wouldn't it be nice Peppermint?"

There was no response…

"Hey Peppermint I'm talki-!" the cinnamon roll cut himself off staring at Peppermint Butler in astonishment. The small candy took a feline-like position and he was hissing angrily at the opposite direction. "Hey man, what's wrong?"

Peppermint Butler turned to see him with an offensive stare "I sense evil, something is coming…something…wicked…"

* * *

**Author Notes:**

Well, they are finally back on the road and Finn's alive! I don't have much to say except...did you watch the Worm King preview? That episode is going to be awesome, I know it. Is it gonna be like Inception? That movie made me all soul-searchy and weird...

Reviews are nice! *everything turns black and white* Or so they say...

Guest: I'm appealing to your imagination...even if it is for turbo-nerds.


	25. The Part time workers!

Tale 25: The Part-time workers!

North. Joshua told them to follow that direction if they wanted to find the secret train station. They were just following Madame Leotte's clues not knowing how reaching the Candy train station would lead them to the cosmic radar's whereabouts.

After leaving the antique amusement park the gang began a long journey following blindly Finn's and Jake's father instruction, they didn't really know where they were. Princess Bubblegum's map was useless since the Lich messed up the whole land but still, she tried to figure their exact location by observing the characteristics of the area like the weather, the type of soil and the plant species that grew along the road. She noticed that the presence of evergreen trees was abundant, mostly conifers and pines, filling the cool early morning's air with a sweet aroma that made everyone exhale with pleasure each time the wind shaken the cone-bearing leaves that surrounded them.

Taking out the map from her purse, the princess checked each forest's name based on the information she had gathered along the way. "Hmm…" Bubblegum whispered once she found a possible answer and went out of course to rip off one small leaf.

"Auch! What the? Why would you do that?" the tree complained angrily after being awoken by a painful sting on its branch.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized making a small bow "I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just confirming my hypothesis." The tree gave her a confused stare as she walked back to her friends.

"Why you do that?" the green eyed hyooman asked pocking Bubblegum's shoulder.

"The trees talk" the candy ruler replied showing the small leaf "The only place where such trees can be found is in the Forest of Trees!"

"Reeaally?" a sleepy bat popping of Finn's bear hat moaned. Though it was still dark Marceline knew that the break of dawn was close and she was extremely tired to either walk or levitate with the group.

"Hey don't use sarcasm on me, I didn't name this place!" Princess Bubblegum excused herself "This forest has been called like that before I was even born!"

"Uh huh…"the bat replied playing lazily with Finn's golden hair "So what if we are in the Forest of Trees? That doesn't give us any clue…"

"Ring, ring!" a voice said from within the bushes.

"Umm…I think I know that sound…" Finn commented suddenly stopping his pace and raised his blue irises trying to see the vampire on his head "Maybe we can get a clue, let's go check it out!"

The group followed him inside the forest jumping over tree stumps and crouching down to avoid hitting branches as they ran. Soon the silence that had accompanied them throughout their long walk was filled with the sound of chirping birds and a nearby river's flowing water. Finn stopped close to the edge pointing a small light green bush that looked like a two-part snowman but his face was on the lower section of his body.

"Haha! I knew it, it's you!" the human boy yelled making the bush frown.

"Ring ring! … Yeah, dummy police? The strange dummy is back and this time he brought more dummy friends with him… hmm…yes please…cut them with a knife? I don't have arms dude…well thanks for nothing!" When the plant finished his fake phone call he simply rolled his eyes and stared at Finn.

The boy just glanced him as well and after a while of looking at each other in complete silence Finn opened his mouth to speak "Hi we-…."

"No!" the talking bush screamed cutting off the young hero's words "No, no! Not again you ugly fat smelling fat head! I don't care how much you need to get to the other side, I won't let you use me to cross the acid river again!"

"I'm not here t-…" Finn tried to defend himself only to be harshly interrupted again.

"NEVER AGAIN!" the bush yelled leaning forward.

The human shrugged and turned towards his friends "I think I caused this guy a trauma…he won't help us find the station…"

The bush blinked reconsidering his actions and rose a curious stare at the gang "You're looking for the secret station camp?"

"That's right!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed crouching down and giving him her best smile "Would you be so nice of showing us its exact location, please?"

"Sure! For you milady, anything!" the shrub answered sweetly implying that his insults were only reserved for the annoyed boy with the bear hat "It's across this river but be careful cause it's made of acid and I don't want you pretty ladies to be hurt trying to get across." He warned causing Bubblegum, Susan and Flame Princess to giggle.

"Psst, that won't be a problem!" Jake replied stretching his body over the corrosive waters to form a bridge but as soon as he reached the other end a bunch of electric eels jumped out biting and sending painful shock waves through his muscles. The poor dog was immediately forced to return to his normal form and began rolling on the grass while groaning and complaining with frustration.

"Oh yeah I forgot about the eels!" the bothersome bush laughed, "Like I told this doofus a year ago, It's impossible to cross this river unless…"

"Unless I make an ice bridge!" Ice King shouted happily.

"Nope blue weirdo, that river is pure acid big dummy! It's too hot, your ice will melt in no time!"

"Can't we just fly over it?" Marceline asked peeking out from Finn's hat "Man…you have no idea of how sick I am of crossing rivers!"

"The eels, bat!" the shrub replied anxiously "They can jump very high! Now, to get across, all you have to do is ask me how, cause the colonel assigned me to be in charge of the camp's access!"

"You could have told us that in the first place, you know?" The singed magical dog moaned.

Getting across the Acid River, according to the little pesky bush, was an easy task to accomplish and was done in three simple phases:

"Number one: The fire soldiers protecting the camp area eliminated the creatures under the trap bridge. It's now possible to use the bridge. Go use it.

Phase 2: Once you have reached the bridge's half way stop! The river used to be a natural barrier against the zombie horde therefore the restored bridge was covered with mines to prevent them from using it! So watch your step!

Phase 3: Obviously some mines have been detonated before so there's a big hole at the other end. Do not fall inside it!"

The small bunch of leaves finished his monologue and stared at the eight with pride "If you manage to do all of that, you'll reach the other side with no problem."

The gang stared at the shrub with an exaggerated look of disbelief engraved on their tired faces "You're kidding, right?" Billy asked folding his arms.

So, the group walked towards the now supposed to be "safe bridge", a few sunrays shined behind the mountains but their light wasn't bright enough to drive the darkness away. This fact concerned the legendary hero gravely, if they weren't able to see, how the heck were they supposed to avoid stepping on a mine or jumping over the hole?

"Oh, that's no prob!" the Ice King said with a confident look "We have miss torch to light our way!"

"The old guy is right, hey Flame P!" the small bat yelled, "Do your thing please!"

The young fire elemental nodded and lifted her hand to summon a small flame while her friends waited observing her calmly. They didn't have to wait much for a tiny spark to appear on her golden hand but that was all they saw, a small spark that faded on a puff of smoke a few seconds later. Everyone raised their gazes at the fiery girl who returned the glace with a shy smile.

"Sorry!" she apologized rubbing the back of her head "It seems that I don't have enough fuel…"

"Not enough fuel?" the blue wizard questioned, "What the flip does that mean?"

His answer was a loud growl coming out of Flame Princess's stomach, she placed her hands on her abdomen grinning weakly "I'm starving…" More growls echoed in the dark woods where the whole group of heroes-to-be bended slightly holding their empty stomachs and exhaling collectively a sigh of resignation.

"Let's sit and wait for daylight…" Susan suggested leaning on a sleepy pine. Almost instantly, her friends collapsed lazily on the grass.

/

The acidic waters ran sharply splashing and crashing against the rocks that peeped out of the river as the gang walked slowly over the moss covered stone bridge. Each of them held a determined stare as their paces guided their bodies to the mined zone, each of them except a certain fire elemental who couldn't hide her expression of fear every time she laid her eyes on the enraged current. One failed step would obviously lead the flaring princess to her demise.

"Okay…" the legendary hero said stopping and extending his arms to prevent his comrades from advancing "Those small mounds of dirt and leaves must be the hidden bombs…" his green eyes scanned the path and after a while he began to make his way through the mines stepping carefully on his toes "Pay attention to what I'm doing and step exactly where I placed my feet, got it?" Without much effort Billy managed to reach the broken part of the grey bridge "Well…" he smiled waving at them, his face covered with sweat "It wasn't that bad, Princess Bubblegum, your turn!"

The pink haired girl gulped nervously trying to visualize the mental map that she created following the hero's moves "Oh Grod…" she whispered closing her eyes "Here I go…"

"PB!" Finn yelled playfully "Open your eyes or you're gonna blow the bridge!"

"We're doomed…" the vampire bat on his head sighed staring at the nervous princess jumping on her toes like if the ground beneath her feet was covered with lava.

One by one the eight crossed the mined area holding their breaths each time someone stopped forgetting where to place their feet. Thankfully, after what seemed an eternity of whines, false alarm cries and nerve crushing doubtful movements the brave Ooocians managed to reach the save area, only one of them remained waiting for his turn of crossing, the small fly-less bird called Gunter.

"C'mon bud!" Jake shouted from the other side "Man…if I wasn't so hungry and sored I could have stretched us out of this predicament in two seconds…"

The penguin stared at their calling manners and signs with a blank expression and started his waddling squawking "wenk!" with each step he made, looking just like a wind-up toy "Wenk…wenk…wenk…wenk…" the gang stared at him nervously, Gunter wasn't showing any sign of fear. He just waddled in a straight line stepping over the mines without detonating them until he arrived to their side "Wenk!"

"What?" the Ice King screeched angrily "That bush was pulling our legs! These bombs are false! All fake!" he yelled walking back to the mined area while his teammates gave him a look of horror.

"Simon no!" the young human screamed watching how the old man stepped over a small dirt mound.

"Fake, fake, fake!" the ice wizard continued to yell stomping the mound repeatedly.

Susan covered her eyes and crouched behind the legendary hero knowing what was about to happen. One second after the blue bare foot of the Ice King hit the ground the mine was detonated; its explosion causing the other bombs to blow up in a domino effect. The bush stared at the giant column of fire and smoke rising before him.

"Dummies…" the plant whispered rolling his eyes.

/

"ICE KING! …COW!" Finn's angry voice resonated as the smoke cleared to reveal seven people hanging from the bridge's edge. Billy tried with all his strength to pull his comrades up with him while the Ice King held Finn's leg tightly lifting his feet in the air to avoid touching the acid that flowed underneath him.

Lying back over the soft grass the gang panted heavily not even knowing how they managed to cross without falling into the deadly river. The explosion of course, was heard throughout the whole forest calling the attention of the fiery soldiers that protected the secret station; two of them were sent to inspect the area and soon after that they were escorting the exhausted group into Colonel candy corn's camp.

The secret train station camp was a small meadow surrounded by the characteristic speaking trees of this particular forest, various green tents were scattered around three wood shacks, one had a blue cross painted on the door indicating that the infirmary could be found inside it, a bigger one had a yellow sign painted with a terrible handwriting in green letters which said "_Huggies! Snacks and affection_" and the smallest cabin was sited along the railroad and had its own wooden sign with the words "_Tickets and info_" written on it. Each log house had a brick chimney puffing out white clouds of smoke.

Outside the tents some gum drops, wizards and animals were seen playing cheerfully, others were eating or sleeping on the ground care freely while others were waiting next to the information hut to get their train tickets. It seemed like a peaceful place and somehow the mere fact of being there and breathe the fresh pine scent in the air comforted the gang's aching bodies.

"Colonel Candy corn is inside, you are free to enter." A fire soldier said standing next to the wooden door.

Finn nodded with his usual grinned face and opened the door to step inside followed by his friends. The old piece of candy was sitting behind a black desk while writing something on an open notebook with a red plume. His honor golden badge was hanging on his chest since he swore to always wear it proudly back in his ol' good military days. The colonel was so focused on his work that Princess Bubblegum felt unsure of interrupting him.

"Umm…Good morning Colonel!" she greeted after remembering that time wasn't exactly on their side.

"Huh?" the yellow and orange colored sweet whispered raising his gaze "Oh, your majesty!" he exclaimed pushing back his chair and walked to welcome the newcomers. The veteran kneeled holding the princess's hand and kissed it with decorum, then with an inquisitive look he asked her who were the ones standing by her side.

"Can't you remember me?" Finn and sang pointing his chest with his thumb.

"Ah but of course!" Candy corn replied knocking his forehead "Finn, please excuse this old man's fading memory!" he chuckled and stared at the rest of the gang "And you are?"

"Susan Strong, the Ice King, Billy the hero…" Bubblegum introduced them with a swift gesture of her arm across their faces just as the small bat decided to pop out from Finn's hat recovering her humanoid form and startling everyone in the process.

"The Vampire Queen, Marceline at nobody's service!" the pale skinned girl said making a small bow not really showing any sign of respect.

"Yeah right, don't pay attention to her…" the candy ruler continued "and this is Flame Princess!"

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you all!" Colonel Candy Corn laughed, "Now, how may I help you?"

"We want nine tickets for the next departing train, six adults, two kids and one penguin please!" The white bearded old man demanded joyfully.

"Sure, let's see…" the veteran returned to his seat and began to write numbers and press buttons on the device that was next to his notebook while everyone looked at him with curiosity "…and a penguin…it'll be…fifty bucks!"

"Fifty what?" the group shouted with a combination of worry and astonishment.

"Bu-bu-but…money? You're asking for money?" Princess Bubblegum stammered placing her hands on the black desk while leaning forward to the old colonel's face.

"Well yes indeed, how do you think that we afford the medical services, the construction, maintenance and security of the train, huh?"

Bubblegum Bonnibel turned to her comrades who were pulling out their pockets while smiling nervously "D-don't tell me…that we don't have any money…" she said fixing her gaze on the vampire "I saw you gambled at least a good forty bucks during the knife storm!"

"I know!" Marceline replied with annoyance "But my pockets are empty, I can't find my cash!"

"Something weird is going on here…" Finn whispered squinting his eyes suspiciously "right Jake?" there was no response from the bulldog "Jake?"

"S'up?" the potato-like dog entered the shack with his face buried on a triple Banana split Sundae combination cup that he held on his ice cream covered paws.

"You!" the tallest princess in the group shouted angrily "Where did you get that?"

"From the ice cream seller that roams through the camping area…why?"

"You didn't get it for free, do you?" Marceline inquired resting her back on a wall.

"Naw, I bought this superdeliciousgloriuos ice cream for a good forty bucks at least!"

"JAKE!" Finn yelled grasping his brother's shoulders "where did you get the money?" the golden bulldog shrugged.

"Sometimes, things just appear inside my pockets…" Jake answered scooping his Sundae with his spoon hand "You guys want some?"

"Jake!" his human brother yelled shaking him anxiously "We needed the money!"

"And now, thanks to the furry malleable ball of fat, we're stuck again…" the Vampire Queen sighed folding her arms and turning her face away from the shining window.

"What? C'mon, I was hungry!" the magical dog tried to defend himself.

"We are all hungry, Jake!" Bubblegum scolded firmly "You can't just wander around life worrying only about your needs!" she rubbed her temple trying to lower her stress like she used to do each time something went wrong with the council or at a royal meeting. "There's nothing we can do now, let's go out and see if we can collect some money…"

/

Susan followed her unhappy friends back to the camping area not really understanding what was bothering them so much since the concept of money was still unclear to her, all she knew was that she was hungry and that she had no idea of what the word train meant. Trains seemed important to Finn because that was all he talked about; maybe train was something to eat? The hyooman scratched her head thinking that trains didn't sound delicious at all…not like the cup of ice cream that Jake was holding a while ago. When he asked if someone wanted some she was about to scream "Yes!" but her words were cut off by the other's complaining and then he just threw it away, she could feel the tears gathering in her dark green eyes remembering that magnificent ice cream melting on the dirty ground. Susan would have loved to lick it but Finn grabbed her arm and pulled her away muttering something about germs and stuff, she could only turn her head and wave goodbye to the wasted Sundae.

Strong continued to regret not having fought for the candy she just lost until the ground beneath her bare feet started to vibrate, she stopped walking and squat down to touch it with her hand "Uh…something's coming…" Susan pasted her ear against the ground and heard it; something big, something noisy and heavy was coming in their direction. She ran towards the railroad and stood on the cold steel horizontal bars, her emerald eyes could see it in the distance, big noisy and heavy as she imagined it. The loud whistle rang in her ears, the strange thing was very fast and was charging against her, breathing smoke like the poisonous dragons that lurked around her underground homeland. For Susan it was a metal beast, a creature that filled her body with fear and she had to destroy.

/

Meanwhile Jake stretched to the window on the shack with the blue cross "Look!" he called reading a small paper "Volunteers accepted"

"Oh, I get it!" Finn exclaimed, "We'll work for the money, great idea bro!"

"Work?" the bat under his hat replied lazily "Can't we just steal some cash? We are running out of time remember?"

"Marcy! We are supposed to become heroes, heroes don't steal!" the human boy scolded her frowning his brow.

"I remember a tale about hero that used to steal to help others…Robie Wood or something like that… but he was a noble hero! C'mon! I have already seen five easy targets, it'll be a piece of cake!"

"Jake…she's messing with my beliefs again!" the boy complained anxiously.

"Aw man but I don't feel like working either…Let's be all Robie Woods!" the golden canine suggested waving his arms in noodle motion.

Finn face's was full with confusion, he wanted to follow Marceline and Jake because for him that was the "cool path" but on the other hand Bubblegum and Billy had that stern expression calling him to the "righteous path" What to do, what to do? It was being a cool hero or a righteous one; there were two ways to choose, which would he follow?

"MY WAY!" the boy shouted kicking the infirmary's door open and rushed inside only to bump against a fluffy white and yellow mass.

"Oh, look who's back for his love therapy!" a humanoid nurse with orange hair and a terribly done make up said crushing Finn within her arms.

The young hero's high-pitched screech pierced through the air "CLOWN NURSE!"

"Oh Glob, great!" Jake laughed walking inside and jumped over one of the six beds with white blankets that were aligned in the back of the room "I need foo-foos for my boo-boos, please! Where's the green one?"

"Lazy butt come here and help me!" his human brother ordered trying his best to resist the rain of smooches the fell over him "Jake! Marcy, someone!"

"Humph, careful Flame P a clown's stealing your runt" the Vampire Queen chuckled enjoying the scene.

"I don't really mind!" Flame Princess giggled covering her mouth.

"Well…I tried…" Marceline replied shrugging.

"Oh dear, look at all your bruises!" the head clown nurse whined "But don't worry we are here to help, my kisses will heal you!"

"No! I don't nee-…I don't want any kisses from you!" a freaked out Finn shouted struggling to free his body from the creepy nurse's grasp.

"Would you prefer Greta's smooches, then? Greeetaa!" The big green colored clown with blue lips entered the room.

"Finn! She was my favorite!" Jake complained showing real annoyance.

"NOO!" the human boy shouted finally jumping out of the yellow skinned nurse "Forget what I said, let's be like Robie Wood!" he complained stomping outside angrily.

"Perhaps you came for the volunteering try-out?" a black and white clown asked carrying some clean towels on a silver tray.

"We are really looking for a job…" Princess Bubblegum answered, "We need some cash…"

"Oh too bad…" the head nurse said patting Bonnibel's shoulder "We don't have any money yet but we can pay you with our special combo of super sweet smooches or with three bottles of magic potion that no one likes…"

"Magic potion that what?" the pink princess replied almost sure of what the clown was talking about.

"Mr. See's tears! A disgusting combination of echinacea, chicken soup, toad potion, apple juice, celery, soda, ginseng, roots and marshmallow mold that can heal any wound, but let me tell you something my dear, our kisses work better!"

"Is…I don't know, I'm just guessing…" the small bat that perched on the roof before Finn was "attacked" by the clown nurse said "Is Mr. See a Cyclops?"

"Right, right! Your winged mouse is right!" the nurse laughed pointing the offended bat "We named him See or just "C" like vitamin C because all he can do is to stare with his big round eye!" She grabbed Bubblegum's arm "Come with me I'll introduce you to him, he likes company and he's a quite poet, you know?"

/

Finn was waiting outside where he found a small bucket with fresh water, which he didn't doubt to use to clean his smooched face "Unbelievable!" he grunted angrily "First that talking bush and now those creepy nurses, man it's like a déjà vu!" the boy tossed the empty bucket aside and heard the train's whistle getting closer "The train, we're gonna miss it if we don't gather the money fast!"

The yellow sign on the big cabin attracted his attention and he decided to make his way inside, it seemed that everyone needed help on the camp because Finn was able to notice a tiny sing pasted on the window that said "_Help wanted. Lot's of money for workers. Ask the chef." _Well the offer looked pretty good, especially the phrase "Lot's of money for workers" the human boy grabbed the sign and entered the hut humming his favorite song happily.

The place was empty and silent, there were spider webs everywhere and the eating tables were covered with a thick coat of dust "Ugh…this place needs some arrangements…" he whispered drawing a line with his finger on the dirty surface of one of the tables "Hellooo! Chef? Your workers are hereee!"

/

"_My dear I can't love you like I wish_

_Cause loving you is impossible_

_Yet I do_"

"Woo! Yeah, wonderful! Bravo! Awesome man!" Jake, Princess Bubblegum and Flame Princess exclaimed faking excitement about the one-eyed mountain's poem.

After Finn took off his head and brought him to the clown nurses, the Forest Cyclops, now known as "Mr. See" lied on a large circular-shaped wooden container and each time he cried it would be filled with his tears so that the clowns could store them on glass bottles easily. Mr. See grew fond of the nurses; they showed him the power of affection and helped him realize that his heart was not made of stone as he used to claim, all that anger and aggressiveness were just a false font to hide how sad and lonely he was.

In fact, Cyclops are known for having pretty bad emotional problems and for crying a lot, however, thanks to the discovery of his poet skills (which to be honest, are terrible) this grassy head learned a peaceful and healthier way to express and let go of his messed up feelings.

"You really liked it?" the Forest Cyclops asked blushing.

"Wha-…Oh, yeah! It touched my heart man!" Jake replied smiling at his best.

"Oww…thank you…it means so much…" he began to sob and the magical tears poured out of his greenish eyeball filling the container.

"Aw…my little sentimental monster…" the head clown nurse said planting a kiss on his cheek "That's enough crying for today, you must be a happy baby!" her other clown assistants scooped three bottles and filled them with the precious magical liquid.

"Well, it may not be money but it's something" Princess Bubblegum whispered pulling her teammates close "We'll Cyclops tears anyway…"

"I agree, let's close the deal!" the fiery princess suggested clenching her fists with excitement.

Bubblegum turned around and walked towards the orange-haired clown "Fine, we'll take the tears! By the way…what are we volunteering for?"

"You just accepted to help me try my new blueberry lipstick treatment on one of you!" Her hand the white pocket on her uniform and took out a blue lipstick, she twisted the cylindrical case and painted her red mouth with the waxy coloring. The clown's face wasn't improved at all; on the contrary, she looked scarier now "Okay, who will it be?" the head nurse asked kissing the air.

"R-right…" Bonnibel gave a nervous smile to the three males beside her, the Ice King, Jake and Billy "Gentlemen."

"Oh no, don't look at me! I have a girlfriend!" the golden bulldog protested shaking his head "Ice King is the one who's always searching smooches!" he stretched his paws to push the blue wizard forward "This is your golden opportunity!"

"No, I just want to be kissed by princesses!" the old man yelled flapping in the air with his long beard "Let the green one be smooched!"

"Hmmph! You wish…" the legendary hero grunted turning his face away.

"Guys please!" Princess Bubblegum begged, "Stop acting like children, you're all grown up men. Come here and show it!" the three ignored her "Someone has to be kissed by the clown nurse!"

"I know!" Marceline obviously hiding herself from the sunlight in her bat form said from her perch on a talking tree "Let's solve this democratically!"

/

"Hi, is anybody there?" the human boy kept asking pushing the kitchen's door "Chef?"

Something moved behind the tons of wooden vegetable boxes piled up on his back, Finn quickly turned around pulling out his Blood Demon sword by instinct. His blue eyes checked the area carefully as he stepped backwards ready to slash whatever dared to attack him from within the shadows. Suddenly, a flying carrot coming out of nowhere hit his face. The boy covered his hurt nose, not only dropping his defenses but also his red blade.

"Yeeeahg!" a high-pitched voice screamed jumping over the human and squeezed him wrapping its arms around him. The lights were turned on and that was when Finn saw him "You've been hugged!"

It had a dark-grey bodysuit, a white and stained apron that said, "_Hug the chef_", yellow skin, a lemon-shaped belt and a big round face decorated with a long pointy nose.

"L-Lemongrab?" the young hero yelled with amazed confusion still trapped on his embrace.

/

"ROCK, SCISSORS, PAPER! HA!"

"ROCK, SCISSORS, PAPER! HA!"

"ROCK, SCISSORS, PAPER! HA!"

Princess Bubblegum stared at Billy, Jake and the Ice King with an obviously worried look on her face, just like Flame Princess watching next to her, she had the arms crossed over her chest and was tapping the ground impatiently with one foot. "Yeah… I'm pretty sure this is not how democracy works…" she complained lifting her gaze towards the bat resting on the tree behind her.

"Nah, trust me. I'm pretty sure this is going to work just fine!" Marceline replied with a funny grin.

"ROCK, SISSORS, PAPER!" The Ice King closed his fingers into a fist; Billy did the same while Jake just opened his palm. "HA!"

"Paper beats rock, I win, and I'm out this!" Jake sang stretching into the infirmary to look for a feet massage.

"Okay, it's you and me now, Greenie!" Ice King said cracking his knuckles.

"Bring it on!" the legendary hero replied confident of his luck.

"ROCK, SISSORS, PAPER!" Two fingers versus a fist, green scissors against a blue rock "HA!"

"I WIN" the ice wizard laughed on Billy's face "No nasty kisses for me but for you buddy…hehe! A disgusting clown smooch!"

The green man squinted his eyes angrily and walked away "Where do you think you're going, _handsome_? The head clown nurse yelled running towards him with her blueberry lips ready to smooch.

"Mother of Glob!" Billy cried trying to runaway.

/

"So…let me see if I got your story" Finn said sitting on a chair next to the lemon headed guy who did the same "You were having a drink with a strange gal, Marceline. Then you woke up in the candy dungeons alone with a hang over, you noticed that the prisoners had escaped and that your cell was locked. There was no way for you to go out and after you sat on the cold floor to cry, a strange group of beasts with heart-shaped paws broke the metal bars and took you with them?"

"Yes…those creatures never stopped hugging me… I never felt so wanted in my life…" Lemongrab stood up from his seat and faced Finn "The hugs! They showed me what is like to be…nice! SO I'M NICE NOW!" he yelled hugging the boy again.

"Man, that's okay. No more hugs please!" Finn pushed the earl away and ran to the window "Tell me, if you are the chef…will you give me and my friends a job?" the human asked showing him the small sign which offered the job.

"You want to work for me? I'm going to be someone's boss?" Finn nodded causing him to laugh shaking his head weirdly "You are HIRED!"

"Great!" the young hero replied running through the door "I'm gonna call my friends, I'll be back!"

Working for Lemongrab in restaurant, could Finn really think that's a good idea? Specially when such job is usually very stressful and his boss had a lot of metal and emotional issues even though he claims he's been changed. Hug wolves had no social skills at all, they hug because that's their thing but somehow Lemongrab believed that by living with them he'd found a new perspective of life, something he called "Being nice." What could be Lemongrab's definition of nice?

/

Messing with the King worm couldn't be as weird and bizarre as the scene that Finn found behind the infirmary cabin, his hero was rocking himself in fetal position on the ground. He was shivering, his face was covered with blue lipstick marks and he was groaning senseless words. Under a tree his brother, the Ice King, Bubblegum, Flame P, Gunter and the Head clown nurse were sitting peacefully, like if watching the greatest hero of Ooo suffer a nervous collapse wasn't disturbing at all.

The human boy walked slowly trying not to bother messed up hero and sprung towards the tree "Hey, what's wrong with Billy?" he asked landing close to Jake.

"Don't worry for him, he's just being melodramatic about a few medical clown kisses!" the candy princess answered taking something out of her purse "Look what he got for us, three bottles of Cyclops's tears!"

"Whoa that's cool Peebles, cause I just got us…a job!"

"What? Where?" Flame Princess replied tilting her head with curiosity.

"Here on the big cabin, it's like a restaurant and-…" Finn's word were cut off by the bat flying inside his bear hat again to escape from the sunlight.

"A job…and everyone was hired just like that?" Marceline inquired remembering that a job wasn't something easy to get, people had to be interviewed and tested before being hired. It made her wonder, who'd be so desperate to hire eight people without knowing who they were or where they came from.

"Yeah, everyone! You, me, Jake, Sus-…" the boys blue eyes searched in every corner of the camping area for the sturdy woman that was following them just a while ago "Wh-where's…"

"SUSAAAAN!" her loud battle cry was heard not very far from where they were standing.

Immediately Finn ran towards her followed by the rest of the gang except for the legendary hero who was still trying to get over his smoochy clown trauma. They arrived to the railroad in just a few seconds and found the hyooman charging against the giant engine that was coming at great speed towards her. That was when the human boy remembered that it was possible for Susan to never have seen a train before and was also possible that she became scared of it causing her to attack it recklessly.

"Susan! You can't kill a train!" Finn yelled trying to catch up with her but the train's constant whistling and the sound of the metal wheels hitting the tracks drowned his voice "Jake, help me reach her!"

The magical dog grew forty times his size and ran on his four paws catching up with Finn and pulling him with his stretched ear over his back they were soon able to reach the hyooman warrior. The engine was almost over her, there was no time to think and so the only thing the young hero could come up with was to jump and push Susan out of the way using all his strength causing the two to roll crazily on the ground until they hit the info shack.

"Sus-sue… you okay?" an extremely dizzy Finn asked struggling to get back on his feet.

"Huh…wha?" was the cat hatted woman's only dizzy response.

/

The dark-grey and red locomotive exhaled puffs of smoke as it finally stopped, behind the engine a new primitive addition was added, probably because, and one of the reasons of why the Candy train was out of service was because Finn destroyed its control panel after his "Happy birthday to ME!" revengeful stunt one year ago. It was a small coal wagon; obviously, repairing the whole train's electrical system would take time and money that Colonel Candy Corn and his organized crew of candy and fire soldiers couldn't afford so, after several studies of pre-Mushroom war technology the Candy train was transformed into a steam engine powered by the combustion of cheap fuels (literally everything that could be burned) and during this times of disaster the amount of "fuel" such as wood, coal and debris was abundant, thus the 1800's typical locomotive was back on the Earth's railroads.

"Okay people" Princess Bubblegum said standing in front of the gang who was sitting under a nearby tree's shadow "Let's make things clear, those of you who have never seen a train" she turned slightly and pointed the smoky engine with her thumb "There you have it. It's not a metal beast, worm, dragon or whatever your wild imaginations could devise. It's just one of the many transport systems that we have here in Ooo, is that clear?" Susan Strong, Flame Princess and Gunter nodded staring at the large machine with fascination "Good! Next, ugh…Finn, you were saying?"

"I got us a job in that shack." The human boy simply replied.

Marceline peeked out of the bear hat trying to read the big yellow sign on the cabin's roof "Huggies? This place is named Huggies? Is that even a proper name for a restaurant? I mean it doesn't make me think of food. It makes me think of… dirty diapers! What kind of weirdo could-…"

"You are being welcomed!" the tall skinny lemon headed guy with a jelly bean butt yelled running towards the gang as they walked to his establishment "And now you'll be hugged!"

"What the? Is the Lemon Pie freak again!" the vampire groaned hiding inside Finn's hair.

"Who said that? I'm not Lemon Pie, I am the Earl of Lemongrab…LEMONGRAB!" he shouted quickly shifting back to his annoying personality.

"Lemongrab…Lemon Pie…whatever, there's no difference!" Finn's hat replied.

"There's no respect! I'm your boss now hat!"

"Bonnibel, could you please tell your short-minded son that I'm not a hat?"

Princess Bubblegum frowned "Lemongrab is not my son! He's just a failed experiment!"

The yellow skinned guy's eyes widened "Is that all I mean to you?" he asked with an uncertain tone.

Bubblegum felt bad for him, the poor guy had feelings and emotions after all, he wasn't just a test tube filled with a miscalculated combination of the wrong chemicals that she would just try to suppress or hide. Lemongrab was a candy being and therefore one of the citizens she had swore to protect and take care of. "Listen I…" the princess tried to start an apology.

"YOUR SALARY SHALL BE REDUSED TO HALF!"

Forget about the apology, Lemongrab had no remedy.

/

Inside the dirty restaurant Lemongrab opened a dusty cardboard box and showed his new employees their new uniforms, which after hours of complaints, grunts and yelling were wore by the bothered gang. Marceline was the most annoyed of all, how could the Vampire Queen be seen wearing a yellow fluorescent apron and a green cap with a big yellow "L" sewed on it. "L for Lemongrab" her boss said to what she replied "L for looser…"

But that was only the start of the torture, working on a restaurant implied sweat, stress and orders. Orders from the clients and senseless orders from the bossy lemon, for example, after making them wear his ridiculous uniform, Lemongrab forced them to use only the initials of their names because he wasn't sure if could remember how they were called.

"Listen everyone, tell me your names NOW!"

Finn sighed and presented them all "Marceline, Jake, Ice King, Billy, Bubblegum, Flame Princess, Susan and me, Finn."

"Great! Now I'm not going to remember your names so let's make it simple, the vampire will be M, the dog will be J, the old timer will be I, the green guy will be G cause I already forgot what his name was. Princess Bubblegum you'll be B, the tall woman is S and you two will be F!"

"Hey, wait a sec…" Flame Princess complained, "There can't be two Fs, that will be confusing!"

Lemongrab squinted his eyes angrily and leaned towards the red haired girl's face "Tell me F are you the boss?"

"No but…" she tried to reply.

"Then shut your little mouth and let me be the one who decides what is confusing and what is not!" the lemon headed guy shouted causing her to grunt furiously.

Flame P would have loved to incinerate the guy and take the money but that wasn't allowed in a civilized society so she had to obey and use the small tag her boss gave her. It said "Hi my name is F" and everybody had to wear one as well, which made her wonder why if Lemongrab was planning to make them use tags he couldn't just write their whole names on them.

"As you can see, this place is in an UNACCEPTABLE CONDITION!" here came the first exhausting task of the day, the worst thing was that they were already exhausted and their stomachs were still empty. It will be hard long day. "In a few minutes the passenger cars will open and hundreds of hungry mouths will descent from them, so get this place shinny to get started with the cooking!"

Will they manage to survive their new job? Did Lemongrab was really going to pay them with "lots of money"? Will they ever get to ride the Candy train and continue with their journey? Well, you'll have to wait for the next exciting chapter of our story!

* * *

**Author's notes:**

:') Thanks, really thank you a lot for the reviews! You can't imagine how much I appreciate it, I'm so glad that you are enjoying my story. Thank you very much. An Adventure Time movie? Based on this fic? Heck, wouldn't that be awesome? But I don't really see that happening although I'm sure that we can wait for a movie coming from Mr. Pen's mathematical writing staff someday!

Well that's all I've got to say, thanks for the support guys.


	26. A heart broken Martian!

Tale 26: A heart-broken Martian!

"Mop, mop, mop! I must mop, mop, and mop!" Susan sang running around the tables while dragging the humid sponge that Lemongrab attached to a stick and gave to her. She had never done cleaning before and the word mop sounded funny so the hyooman thought that cleaning was the same as playing. Strong seemed to be actually having a good time but her mates felt like if they were being forced to endure hell.

Let's be honest, everyone hates doing house-like chores, especially when you are a carefree guy who simply throws the dirty plates outside through the window or when you are a princess whose servants would always take care of those matters. Sweeping piles of trash, polishing dusty knobs, carrying and washing towers of filthy dishes, pulling off spider webs and preparing the ingredients for the next crazy sweat-shedding labor was worst than climbing back to the Cloud Kingdom thirty times. If only their "nice" boss could make things more placid, they wouldn't have minded all the extra hard work, cause yeah after coming back from the Underworld without sleeping or eating, an extra effort had to be made in order to perform those everyday tasks.

The gang spent the rest of the morning setting up the place for lunch, the hour when the real work would begin. In the storeroom Billy, the Ice King and Jake were organizing boxes full of all kinds of old junk trying to find the kitchen's utensils because when Lemongrab bought the restaurant he never cared to look for them, the lemon was probably waiting for someone else to do it. Now this one was supposed to be a simple task, all they had to do was use the wooden ladder to bring down the heavy boxes, open them, search and then put them back on its shelves. It should even be a lot easier by using Jake's magic powers to reach the packages while the hero and the wizard looked inside for the kitchen tools but they weren't counting with one tiny detail. The storeroom wasn't just a normal room, it was a magic storage room that had the capacity to store an infinite amount of boxes on its shelves, and so unless they find the utensils, they'll have to repeat their new workout routine of stretching, climbing or flying (depending of the character) picking up the stuff, getting it down and then bringing it up again the whole day.

Meanwhile inside the rusty kitchen, the now "Chef of Lemongrab" was overseeing its restoration, which was being performed by a highly inexperienced team of janitors. Because they were shorter, Flame Princess and Finn were working hard on cleaning the floor and removing the old grease that covered the lower parts of each cooking station while Princess Bubblegum and Marceline rubbed the upper side of the kitchen line to later polish and disinfect the sauté, the grill, the fryer and of course, the giant freezer.

"Come on, work faster!" their new boss yelled tapping the floor impatiently while staring at his watch "It's 10:30 am already, the restaurant opens at 12:00 pm for lunch! Hurry up!"

"You know Lemonade…" Marceline said tying her long hair into a ponytail and then placing the "looser cap" back on her head.

"LEMONGRAB!" the earl shouted taking out his glasses and pulling a small notebook from his pocket "I'll discount two bucks from your payment!"

"What? No, c'mon!" the vampire complained anxiously "I was just going to say that we could clean this place faster if we had water" her yellow gloved hand opened the faucet and a few muddy drops fell on the washbasin.

"THEN! You must fix the pipes!"

"Do we look like plumbers to you?" Finn asked sliding from beneath the fryer station. His face was now covered with orange stains; dust and black grease just like the yellow apron and the rub gloves that everybody was forced to wear. Thankfully, Lemongrab made him use the green cap instead of his bear hat, which was now save from all that dirt inside his backpack.

"Finn…" Bubblegum sighed staring at her messy appearance inside a polished pot "We do look like plumbers…" the human boy rolled his eyes and slid back to Flame P's side.

Suddenly and without any warning Lemongrab shouted to the top of his lungs scaring the jelly out of their doughnuts "FFFFF!"

"Yes sir!" Finn and Flame Princess replied in unison forgetting that they were under the fryer and bumped their heads against it when they tried to stand up "OWW!"

"Why are the two of you replying? I just called F!" The two teenagers exchanged a bothered look rubbing their aching foreheads.

"Yes boss?" the boy asked.

"No, not you!" Lemongrab screeched impatiently "The other F!"

The red haired girl sighed with annoyance "I knew this was going to be confusing…Yes boss?"

"You and M go out and bring the water from the old well!" he ripped a page off from his notebook and handed it to Marceline "I'm giving you a map so you can find it faster!"

The Vampire Queen studied the doodles and tried not to laugh, Lemongrab was like a kid in every sense. In the "map" he gave her was the drawing of a long black arrow waving across a forest that the lemon colored with green crayons and even added small animals dwelling around, white clouds on the upper side of the paper and a smiling yellow sun. The arrow pointed a grey thing; next to it he drew two stick figures carrying a bucket and over them he wrote the word "old well"

"Sure boss, I'd love to go out under this smilin-…I mean shinning sun and bring the water with my friend F but since I'm a vampire and this girl is made of pure fire, this could turn a little dangerous for us. Why don't you sent the other F and B instead?" the pale girl handed the map to Bubblegum "You should check out this drawings carefully…" she suggested with a whisper. The pink princess simply gave her a puzzled look.

"Well, if that means they'll do it faster, then its fine…" the Earl chef replied not very sure if he had understood what M said about the vampire and the fire.

"FOUND THEM!" Jake's happy voice resonated through the establishment walls followed by the sound of crackling wood, three desperate screams, a loud "BAM" and lots of things falling onto the floor.

"You okay?" Billy's worried voice asked.

"No! Everything is messed up again!" the bulldog answered angrily "And I lost the utensils among these bunch of junk!"

/

"Whoo! I'm glad that Marceline changed tasks with us!" Finn said balancing his arms happily while he followed Princess Bubblegum into the Forest of Trees "I really needed to get out of there and relax a bit… I feel a little bad about Flame P and Marcy though, now they'll have to handle that jerk by themselves"

"Right…" the candy princess replied not really paying attention to what he was saying, she was focusing on the map that Lemongrab made with her concerned eyes.

When Marceline told her to check out the silly drawing Bubblegum thought that she was just messing with her but then she noticed that the doodled bunnies, the cows, the stick people and that even the sun were smiling in contrast with a barely visible small yellow-headed stick figure on one of the lower corners of the paper, she felt a lump in her throat. The drawn Lemongrab was sitting alone, like if he was staring at all the other happy drawings and he had a question mark over his round head.

"Hey, Peebles!" Finn's voice brought her back to reality "Are you all right?" He asked fixing his blue eyes on her.

"Am I? … I mean… I am alright!" PB replied trying to erase the worry from her face.

"Is because of that Lemongrab guy, right?" the human boy said taking off the green cap from his head, then he shook his long hair to get it back to normal and searched for his bear hat in his backpack "It's okay to feel worried about your son, even if he's a jerk" he continued and covered his blonde mane with his awesome hat.

Bubblegum flinched "Ugh! You too? Lemongrab is not my son, he's-…"

"A failed experiment?" the young hero retorted showing her a soft smile "That's what you said this morning, I get it"

"It sounds terrible when you say it like that…" she lowered her gaze "But yeah, that's what he is…not my son. Why did you mention that Lemongrab was my son? I know that Marceline does it to annoy me, but not you."

Finn grabbed her hand and walked her to a nearby tree, judging by the position of the sun and the intolerable heat that they were feeling; it was probably around 11:40 am, almost lunchtime, which meant that the restaurant was about open. Finn and Peebles had been following the map for a whole hour and they hadn't still found the old well, assuming that it will take them another hour to return with the water both figured that there was no need to worry about getting back before twelve and decided to take a little rest under the tree's shadow.

"I did it because Lemongrab is somehow like Goliad," the boy answered resting his back on the tree's trunk. "They both are failed experiments but you treated Goliad like a child and you were wiling to let her rule the kingdom, so I thought that you felt something similar for the lemon."

Princess Bubblegum chuckled at Finn's childish assumptions "Finn, I never thought of Goliad as a daughter either…" she punched his forearm slightly "She was just a substitute…. where do you get those silly ideas?"

"From my son." The human boy replied causing her to flinch again.

"Y-you have a son?" she asked jumping backwards.

Finn stared at her confused "Yeah…" he responded with a disconcerted voice "Two actually, did you forget about Stormo? You told me that he was my son, that's why I believed that Goliad was your daughter."

"Goliad and Stormo…" the princess whispered gazing the evergreen forest in front of her while the memories drifted back to her mind.

"_I used some of your heroic DNA in Stormo's recipe and not Goliad's." _

"_Oh, whoa…so…that means Stormo is like… my son?"_

"_Well, yeah! In a way…"_

Bubblegum shook her head and turned back to Finn "Stormo is like your son… I did say that…" she placed her hand on his shoulder "but that was because you share the same DNA, so it's like if you were his biological father."

"Then it's the same with Goliad, right?"

"Yeah, but not with Lemongrab…" she answered drying the sweat on her forehead "Glob it's hot…" the princess whispered before continuing, "Lemongrab and I don't share the same DNA, that's why I can't consider him my son."

"Umm…maybe Lemongrab is like Neptr!" Finn exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Who?" Peebles questioned with surprise.

"Neptr, my other son! I made him with some junk and the Ice King's magic, we don't share DNA either but I'm still like a father to him.

"Finn…" Princess Bubblegum chuckled again "It's been a 100% proved that unless there's some genetic connection between them and us, we can't call them our sons. I'm sorry but that's how biology works!"

"But…" the human boy brought his knees close to his chest "Does that mean that… I've never had parents?" his voice cracked before ending the phrase.

"Oh…" the sweet ruler began to rub her temple again. Every time that she relied on science to explain something that she couldn't truly understand, she ended up hurting other's feelings. It had happened to her with Marceline before and now it happened with Finn.

How could she have forgotten that he was adopted and raised by Jake's parents? That fact obviously rebutted all her previous arguments; after all, what could Bonnibel Bubblegum know about parents when she couldn't even remember if she ever had them? The little seven year-old Bonnie always got whatever she wanted, her parents gave her a large toy room filled with books, a chemistry lab equipment and of course the small tea party set were she always sat all by herself. Alone. The Candy King and Queen were never there for her; they were always busy, always gone. If it wasn't for Peppermint Butler, Marceline and her loyal pet and companion Lady Rainicorn, Bubblegum would have probably turned into a spoiled child just like… Just like Lemongrab.

Yes, she grew up wiling to be different from her parents, looking after every candy person with the kindness and love that they never gave her but in the end she had failed. Building Lemongrab his own Earldom and stocking him inside a castle with lots of wealth and servants wasn't different from what her parents did to her.

What was a parent supposed to be like? Peebles knew that the Lord of Evil was always looking forward to the best for Marceline and telling her how proud he was of her even though the vampire thinks he's annoying, it was obvious that she loved her father. The Flame King was always concerned about his daughter; Bubblegum could see how much that hot-headed ruler cared for his little girl and searched to protect her even when that meant sacrificing his own life. Joshua and Margaret…she could already imagine how happy and loved baby Finn must have felt when he lived with the small dog family. Even if, by biological terms, he wasn't, Joshua would always call him son.

The princess patted his back and smiled "No, I was the one who never had parents…I'm sorry Finn, I made a mistake. Maybe science its useless when it comes to what a family really is…"

Finn tilted his head with confusion "Huh?"

"Tell me Finn, how do you take care of Neptr and Stormo?" the pink haired girl asked calmly.

Happiness returned to his expression as he told her about never-ending pie pranks and social robot communication routines "Neptr is a little bit …weird and I think that's why Beemo doesn't like him, but I still hope that they get to become good friends one day!" he rubbed his nose with his index finger and then continued talking "I don't know how you haven't noticed but I climb…or I used to climb the Candy Palace's towers to visit Stormo and cut his hair whenever it grew too much."

"Just like you cut yours?" she joked pulling his hat over his face.

"Agh, I like it that way!" the boy complained adjusting his hat back to its normal position.

"You know Finn?" Princess Bubblegum said after exhaling a deep sigh "When the right time comes… you'll be a great father!" she laughed noticing how his cheeks were colored with a red shade and stood up pulling him by his hand "C'mon, let's go bring that water and see if we can save the world! I wanna live to meet those little flambits! You know what I mean?"

"PB that's not funny!" a completely embarrassed Finn yelled pushing her as they restarted their way towards the old well.

"Of course it is!" she replied pushing him back and then softened her features "Thanks to you…I know what I've got to do now…"

/

"Tell me what do you want and hurry because I gotta use the ladies room!" Marceline demanded standing in front of a table occupied by old mutated ladies.

It was 12:15 and the restaurant was crazy, all the tables were full, people was hungry and impatient, Billy was still searching for the kitchen utensils while Jake was showing off his cooking skills and the Ice King his dishwasher skills. Susan and Flame Princess were outside taking care of the delivery service, which was also chaotic. All of these leaded to one thing, the Vampire Queen was the only waitress available and she wasn't in the mood. Seriously, if it wasn't for the money Marceline would have already killed everyone in the room, calmed her hunger with their blood and whistled happily into the restroom.

"M!" Lemongrab's high-pitched voice pulverized her eardrums "That's not how I told you to talk to the customers! TEN DOLLARS LESS OF YOUR PAYMENT!"

The vampire growled furiously pulling her hair "No man! If we keep on like this I won't get any money! I'LL BE WORKING FOR FREE!"

"Then stop complaining and work like a proper waitress should!"

Marceline rubbed her face in frustration and faced the old ladies giving them the best hypocrite smile she has ever gestured "Good afternoon!" she greeted with a very unusual sweet tone of voice for her "How was your ride? I hope you're not tired. May I bring you a drink while you read the menu?" she said while she cleaned the table with a sponge "Let me suggest you today's special, it's a ugh…" she could feel Lemongrab's eyes shooting daggers at her "I forgot what was today's special…"

"TWENTY DOLLARS! LESS FOR YOU!"

"I just wanna pee!" the Vampire Queen cried not being able to handle any more pressure.

/

Susan and Flame Princess ran (thanks to some kind of miracle cause Lemongrab didn't gave them any lunch break) as fast as their tired bodies could holding a long list with the names and orders that they were supposed to follow.

"Who now?" the hyooman asked carrying a tower of boxes from where a delicious smell emanated driving them both crazy.

"Some-…" the fire elemental was cut off by a sudden breeze that tried to blow the paper out of her hands "Some Mystery Man, close to the railway!"

A strange looking beggar was lying inside the train's cargo wagon, his face wasn't visible the only two things remarkable about him were his eyes shinning from within the brown ragged pelt that covered his entire body and a pointy yellow hat decorated with a sky blue ribbon. An awful odor filled the air as the two girls got closer to him.

"Umm… are you awake?" Flame Princess asked covering her nose. The man said nothing.

"HEY!" Susan yelled but the hobo didn't react "Poke him with somethin'!"

Flame P scanned the ground looking for a stick and once she had found one the fiery girl pocked him a couple of times "Hey…heeey…. hey?" she bit her lip and glanced back at Susan "Ugh…maybe…he died…"

The blonde woman blinked twice and shrugged "Oh well…" she leaned to the princess's ear "Red flower…can we eat his food now?"

"Hmm…if he's dead!" Flame Princess grinned already tasting the delicious food.

"Who said I was dead?" the beggar shouted ripping off his furry coat to reveal his tattered yellow clothes and green skin "TA-DAA!" he sang jumping in front of them while he threw some confetti. The man then proceeded to greet them making an elegant bow and started to perform silly magic tricks for them.

Before the two girl's naive eyes his tricks seemed wonderful rather than cheap and obvious. They clapped and laughed forgetting about their urgent delivery duties and sat on the grass to enjoy his improvised magic show. What the two girls didn't know was that they were at the mercy of the villainous trickster known as the Magic Man.

Oh no, nothing good can come out of this…

/

The "Chef" of Lemongrab walked anxiously from one side of the kitchen to the other while his sweaty employees followed him with their gazes. The sun was already hiding in the horizon and the restaurant was now closed. The reason of the earl's constant pacing was that he was missing four workers, Princess Bubblegum and Finn never returned with the now useless water and Flame Princess and Susan never completed their delivery service. The concern was growing quickly inside the gang's minds while the anger kept rising inside the lemon.

"Okay, that was enough waiting!" the yellow skinned guy shouted stomping the floor furiously "Those four are FIRED!"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Jake replied waving his open palms "Hold on there, boss! What if something bad happened to them? We are living on hard times, remember?"

"Jake's right, we should go out and look for them!" Marceline advised stepping forward.

"Yeah, we'll split in two teams!" the Ice King said taking the lead "I'll go look for Princess Bubblegum and everybody else will search for everybody else!"

"As if!" the magic dog snorted "We'll do it like this-…"

"NAAHH!" Lemongrab yelled drowning Jake's plan with his scream "You are not allowed to do anything without my authorization! I'm the boss remember? THE BOSS!"

"Hey butt!" Princess Bubblegum's voice resonated from the distance "We have to talk!"

Everyone ran out of the kitchen ignoring the Lemon's orders (they actually ran over him) to meet their friends. Surprisingly Bubblegum and Finn had made it back to the camp station leaning on each other's shoulder after being attacked by a pack of why-wolves. The young hero wasn't carrying his sword with him because going to the well was supposed to be a short trip free of inconveniences, but it turned out to be that he was wrong. The why-wolves cornered them shortly after filling their two buckets with water forcing them to defend themselves using whatever made up weapon they could find. In the end, thanks to Bubblegum's scientific debate with the pack's leader about the benefits of the xanoids on the house people's ecosystem, Finn was able to knock him down with a rock while he was distracted and scare off the rest of the wolves but, even though both managed to escape, they did get some considerable injuries in the process.

"G-guys…are you sure you're okay?" Jake asked worried by his brother's limping.

"Sure!" the bubblegum princess replied not really looking any better than the boy "Just some bruises and scratches here and there, Finn got a serious bite on his left leg though, but that's nothing that a Cyclops's tear can't heal!" she looked around the place for her bag but she couldn't find it "Has anyone seen my purse?"

"Your purse?" the Vampire Queen asked with an offensive-like air "That's not the only thing that's missing here! Didn't you guys see Susan and Flame P on your way back?"

"No, we…" Finn was about to answer when he realized what Marceline was talking about "Flame Princess and Susan are missing?" he almost shouted.

"They have been gone the whole afternoon on delivery service and we haven't seen them since then…" Billy replied while checking the boy's hurt leg "We were about to leave on a search."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Finn yelled letting go of Peebles' shoulder "Let's go!"

"Right, just do me a favor and get over my back please" Jake ordered after stretching his body "Without the Cyclops's tears you won't get very far bro!" the human boy nodded and departed with the kitchen team (yep, that includes Lemongrab)

/

The wind was blowing stronger that night, pushing the clouds over the moon and darkening the landscape even more. The refugees were getting ready to board the last ride of the day, the midnight train. They were packing the little stuff that they could bring from their former homelands, the camping tents were being folded and the fires were put out. Princesses, goblins, humanoids and many of the other races that could be found in Ooo walked forming a straight line towards the roaring engine. Some banana guards were helping the people with their luggage and worked hard carrying and throwing it inside the cargo wagons while others filled the coal car with logs and the remaining junk that they could find after dismantling the camping area.

In the midst of all of this activity Jake the Dog was struggling to catch Susan or Flame Princess's scent in the air, if only the strong gusts stopped mixing the aromas, his job would have been a lot easier. "Can't you still track them?" the human boy over his back asked.

"I'm sorry bro, nothing…" the loyal mutt replied stretching his neck to face his worried brother "Let's go back to the others and see if they've found something, maybe they had a better luck!"

"Yeah…it's not like we have any other options…" Finn responded with a disappointed voice.

On the other side of the camping area, walking lazily and showing no or little care about everything that was happening around him, the Ice King wandered around pointlessly. He knew that two of his new comrades had disappeared mysteriously and that everybody was searching desperately for them, but he was tired and hungry, very hungry. His always dispersed mind drifted even farther from reality due to the lack of sleep. It was almost midnight, almost his third sleepless night.

"Oh well, what does it matter?" the blue man said to himself while he searched for a place to sit "A little nap won't hurt that much…" his lids fell blackening his vision.

He was just going to rest for a few minutes; after all, a man needs to sleep! "_But justice never sleeps!"_ His own voice replied eagerly. What the heck could that mean? The Ice King questioned mentally. He had worked very hard the whole day and was actually trying to be one of the good guys, a hero! He deserved to rest _"Ladies prefer valiant restless heroes than lazy ones!"_ Ladies? Yeah, maybe he was right… Finn was always running and jumping around, helping whoever needed him and using all his energy. That always drove the princesses crazy; they praised him after a victory and attended his wounds after a defeat being nice and sweet with him. Everything that runt had to do was to lay his eyes over one of them and bam! He got himself a pretty girlfriend. _"The logic is simple, find the missing girls and prove that you can be a hero too, then all the princesses will want to date you! Even Princess Bubblegum!" _

Suddenly his eyes were opened "I know what I have to do…" the wizard whispered standing up "I'll be a suave detective!"

Yes, he was now a casual and fearless dude. An alley of justice, a rude man of principles! Ladies fainted behind him; he was their forbidden dream. A risky and handsome detective with a passionate heart beating at the rhythm of tango and a super and elegant vehicle, faster than a Ferrari and valuable as a Porsche! Agent 00727, the unstoppable!

"Yeah…unstoppable…" the Ice King murmured as we find out that he was still on the ground and that he was still sleeping "No! I'm a detective now!" he jumped up and slapped his face "I can't be wasting my time, I've got to act now! But first I'll need…_ "Clues!" _...But first I need to find Gunter, cause what's a Batman without his Robin? What's an Ash without his Pikachu? What's a Mordecai without his Rigby? And what the heck am I saying?"

/

He was lying on a cozy and comfortable bed; the chimney's fire warmed his usually cold body. It was wonderful. They would give him everything he wanted like food, warmth, bandages for his wounds and affection. Lot's of affection, smooches on his flippers and smooches on his tired feet. Nothing could ruin this lovely penguin paradise or at least that's what he thought until…

"Gunter!" his master's squeaky voice destroyed the peaceful environment that had been surrounding him since morning "So this is were you've been the whole day?" the old man asked making his way through the colorful nurses that danced around the room with their white tutus.

"While I was sweating my butt off with that lemon creep, you were here, being caressed by ladies!" the Ice King yelled pulling his penguin out of bed.

"Wenk! Wenk!" Gunter tried to complain waving his flippers in a useless attempt to slap the blue man's face.

"No sir! We have a case to solve, c'mon!" the Ice King dragged him outside of the infirmary "There are clues to find!"

There was nothing he could do, the poor penguin had to obey his master and join his "detective business." They walked around the whole place checking every piece of junk they could find, every trashcan and every "suspicious" footprint on the ground.

"Uff! Being a super handsome detective is hard, right partner?" the wizard asked resting his aching back against one of the cargo wagons "I need a magic back, oww!"

Gunter wasn't paying attention, he was to busy trying to keep his balance as he waddled over the railway. The strong cold wind blew again causing both partners to shiver, a flapping sound made the penguin turn his head towards one of the wagons. A paper was attached to it and the wind was threatening to blow it away.

"Wenk! Wenk!" Gunter began to jump pointing the mysterious note "Wenk!"

"Huh? What's this?" his master wondered turning around to read it. The paper had a strange eye symbol and under it, the initials "G.O.A." The Ice King's eyes read the content carefully "Bla bla bleh…we are going to **assassinate **you…blih bleh bla…" Okay, he pretended to read it carefully.

"Wenk, wenk?" the little penguin asked wanting to check the paper too.

"Well this is a clue…but not a clue that would lead us to solve **our** mystery, Gunter!" the Ice King crushed the note into a paper ball and tossed it on the penguin's face "C'mon let's keep looking!"

But before he could start walking, the cold wind blew again, this time stamping another piece of paper on his annoyed face.

"Oh for crying out loud! What's?" he removed it from his nose and an excited gasped escaped from his throat "Gunter, do you know what this is?"

"Wenk…"

"No! This is a list! A list with all the delivery requests!" his master replied eagerly "Those girls were supposed to follow it, take a good look at this!"

The Ice King handed Gunter the long paper and showed him all the crossed out order's on it "Wenk?" the penguin asked noticing that all the names after the "Mysterious Man" order were not crossed.

"Weird isn't it? Now we must wonder why…" the wizard inspected the area searching for more clues "AHA!" he cried pointing an empty box with the "Huggies" logo (two lemons hugging each other) "We are about to crack this case Gunter, I can feel it on my bones!"

More of Lemongrab's restaurant boxes were found as the two "super detectives" walked along the railroad and then an idea brightened the Ice King's brain "That's it. I got it!" he exclaimed dancing in circles "Everything is so clear now!"

"Wenk?"

"The empty boxes scattered along the railroad, the missing list and the uncrossed names…It could only mean…those girls escaped from their labors!"

"Wenk?" Gunter asked again not really getting his master's point.

"Look this is what happened: The fiery girl and the big woman were doing their job happily when they remembered that their stomachs were empty and that they were pretty tired so, the two decided to eat the delivery orders and then they fell asleep somewhere." The old man concluded.

"Wenk?" the penguin inquired.

"Elementary, my dear Gunter. Just look at the list, all the orders under the "Mystery Man's" name were never delivered. That's why they remained uncrossed and that's why there's so much garbage around this place!"

"Wenk!"

"How do I know they're being lazy? Are you kidding me? Can't you hear all that snoring?" his master questioned flying towards one of the cargo wagons, the stock car to be precise "Those loud noises are coming out from here and I can assure you that those girls are sleeping inside this wagon!" the Ice King pushed the wooden door open.

Effectively, on the straw covered floor designed to carry livestock, the sturdy hyooman known as Susan Strong was sleeping peacefully among the chickens and the cows.

"Haha! What did I told you? I'm a super detective! Now Princess Bubblegum won't be able to resist my attractiveness!"

"Wenk! Wenk!" Gunter warned jumping inside the wagon. It seemed that he was looking anxiously for something.

"Be quiet Gunter, I'm trying to reach the other's with my banana phone!" the crazy man pressed the button-less fruit making "Beep" sounds and then he held the banana on his ear while the penguin stared at him with annoyance "I can't believe it, there's no reception here!" the Ice King complained holding his "phone" upwards.

Gunter rolled his eyes.

/

Twenty minutes later (don't ask how) the gang arrived to the scene in a hurry, everyone seemed to be desperate about finding out what had happened to their two teammates.

"So, where are they?" Jake asked still carrying his little brother on his back.

"Inside that wagon, sleeping like a log!" the Ice King replied pointing the train, which was resting on the railway ready to depart at midnight.

"Well, the nap time's over!" Marceline said jumping inside the wagon. She saw Susan cuddled in the warm straw but there was no sign of Flame Princess "What the?" the vampire murmured digging on the dry stalks "Flame P's not here…"

"Flame P what?" Finn replied quickly returning to his former worried state.

"Calm down, maybe she woke up before we arrived here and she's now waiting for us at the restaurant." Billy assumed trying to help the boy to relax.

"You see Finn, Billy's probably right!" the magical dog stretched his paw towards the sleeping hyooman and shook her softly "Hey Sue, wakeup!" the cat hatted girl didn't react "My, what a heavy sleeper! Come on Susie, wakeup already!"

"Wait Jake…" the Vampire Queen crouched next to Susan and lifted her eyelid "Oh no…"

"I don't like the sound of that…" Princess Bubblegum whispered showing concern "What is it Marceline?"

The black haired girl took a deep breath before answering "Susan is not sleeping naturally…she's under a sleeping spell!"

"A sleep-? Let me see!" the Ice King growled pushing the vampire away from Susan and examined her with his wizard eyes. A soft orange glow was surrounding her body "Oh…it's true! How come I didn't see it before? I'm a super detective!"

"Super what?" the gang replied staring at him with confusion.

The blue wizard sighed in resignation, especially because Princess Bubblegum wasn't even paying attention to his "fantastic" skills "Nothing!" he muttered as his arms were extended towards the hyooman "Awaken!"

A purple beam was shot and soon after a few seconds, Susan Strong clenched her eyes and then opened them with a loud yawn. She stretched her muscles and took a look at her surroundings, blinking a couple of times with curiosity the hyooman tilted her head and wondered why everyone was staring her so awkwardly.

"Did Susan do something wrong?" she asked lifting her body and taking a sitting position.

"No Sue, someone cast a spell on you!" Finn replied anxiously "Can't you remember?"

"Remember…spell?" the blonde woman mumbled scratching her head "Susan…remembers a funny hobo, Red flower and Susan were watching him do magic…" She raised her hand and held her head, the memories were slowly coming back "Then he…he did something to Susan and…where's Red flower?"

Susan jumped out of the wagon turning her head every direction "She was with Susan when everything became dark!" she explained crouching down to look under the train.

"Wait I…sniff sniff…" Jake's nose began to lead him towards the camp's limit with the forest "It's Flame Princess's scent! Uh, over there!"

The green cap that Lemongrab forced them to wear was lying on the ground and not very far from it they found the yellow apron hanging from a branch. It was dirty and somewhat torn on its bottom edges.

"Susan…" Marceline inquired with a stern look on her face "Who cast the sleeping spell on you?"

"A green guy with a yellow pointy hat. He said his name wus…Magic Man…"

"MAGIC MAN?" Finn and Jake shouted entering in panic.

"Oh no…no no no…this is wrong, so WRONG!" the human boy yelled jumping from the dog's back and started to hit the ground desperately.

"Finn, you gotta chill out!" Marceline ordered getting closer to him.

"No, you don't understand!" he replied angrily "That freak took Flame P with him! That freak! The last time we saw him Jake was killed by his fault and then Abe King of Mars and Grob Gob Glob Grod and teleporter bottle dump house! I was a foot!" the young hero spoke crazily and soon his words stopped making sense.

"Okay…wait what? I just got a bunch of random mumbling coming out from your mouth!" the Vampire Queen said holding his shoulders "Calm down and tell me who this Magic Man is!"

"He's a weirdo just like Lemongrab but he's green and mean to people…like really mean…" Jake tried to explain feeling the urge to run into the forest and find the Martian jerk to punch his face "Let's say that, the idea of what he could have done to Flame P is really creeping me out…"

"NAAAGH! No!" Finn sprung into the bushes but Billy held his ankle and made him fall "Let me go! I gotta find her!"

"You'll stay here!" the legendary hero sentenced firmly "Your leg is in a really bad condition and you're loosing blood. Until the princess's purse with the Cyclops's tears appears you will stay on the infirmary and rest, we'll take care of this!"

Finn grunted angrily trying to free himself from Billy's grasp "You can't do this to me! She needs me!"

"Finn, I understand how you feel but Billy is right. In that condition you'll be just a burden…" Princess Bubblegum placed her hand on his shoulder "Don't worry for Flame Princess, we'll save her. I promise!"

"Yeah. Now sleep!" Marceline assured before hitting his head with her axe-bass.

"Ma-Marceline! What the heck was that for?" Bubblegum asked staring wide-eyed at the bump on Finn's head.

"Trust me, this little runt would have escaped from the infirmary once we have gotten out of his sight." She replied crossing her arms with a confident look "This is the best we can do for him."

"Wouldn't it have been best if we just cast a sleeping spell on him?" the Ice King asked staring at the unconscious boy.

"Oh, you could've?" Marceline rubbed her neck nervously "Well, never mind… it'll help him forge his heroic attitude. C'mon, let's get moving!"

/

Finn's eyes opened slowly, the world around him was spinning and his head hurt like hell. His vision wasn't still very clear; all he could see was a yellow figure dancing around him. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple of times.

The head clown nurse was staring at him with her big creepy smile "Goodnight sweetheart! Are you feeling any better?" she asked leaning close to him.

The infirmary's door was kicked open after a loud shriek filled the air and the human boy leaved the place running as fast as he could with his bandaged leg, ignoring the pleading cries from the nurses behind him.

"They left me behind, how could they?" Finn mumbled heading towards the Forest of Trees "If something bad happens to Flame Princess it will be their fault! Especially Marceline's!" he declared rubbing the big bump under his bear hat.

He entered the dark forest and searched desperately for a clue that could lead him to the Magic Man but he couldn't find anything, after all he didn't have Jake's nose or Marceline's supersonic hearing. Finn was just a human boy wandering the forest on his own in the middle of the night, without a weapon, seriously injured and the only the only energy he had left was what kept him on his feet. He should have listened to Billy, he should have stayed in the infirmary but he was way too stubborn to obey. He was way too reckless to listen.

Finn fought to avoid thinking in the Magic Man and what he could have done to Flame Princess but he couldn't help it "Why her? What does he want with her?" he wondered resting his back against a tree.

His feet wouldn't move anymore. He was exhausted. Hitting his head against the tree's trunk, Finn cursed himself for being so obstinate. If something decided to attack him he would be doomed and he knew it "Stupid! Stupid!" the boy yelled still hitting his head.

"Hehe yeah, stupid!" a sweet voice giggled over him.

The young hero gasped in astonishment fixing his gaze on the branch above him. There she was, swinging her legs happily like if nothing had happened "F-Flame P?" he whispered still not believing his eyes.

"Yeah, who do you thought I was?" her body morphed into flames, which quickly descended by the trunk and she popped out right in front of him.

"A-are you okay? We thought that-…" he tried to explain her what happened but for some reason her presence was making him really nervous.

Flame Princess moved closer causing him to hit the tree behind him with his back "What's wrong Finn? You look pale…" she whispered leaning in.

The boy gulped, she had her eyes, she had her bright hair and the same voice but she wasn't her. Something was missing. "I-I'm fine…please, I just need some air…" Finn said trying to push her away.

"Oh, I can give you air if that's what you want…" she replied pushing him against the tree.

The human boy flushed noticing that her shoulder strap slipped down her arm revealing the golden skin of her chest "F-Flame P…" he stammered putting her dress back on its place while trying not to look beneath her neck "Y-you are acting weird…I-I don't want you to…what do you want from me?"

"You know what I want Finn…" she answered leaning in but the boy managed to leap away before she could touch him. Flame Princess turned around staring at him angrily "What's wrong with me, huh?" she asked burning the grass around her "You don't like me?"

"Not if you are acting like that!" he replied making a few paces backwards "The Flame Princess I know it's different, she's sweet and gentle while you are…"

"Different? Man, I really thought you were easier to fool!" the Flame Princess before him grew taller, her expression and her skin changed, she was transforming back into…

"Magic Man! You sick jerk!" Finn yelled jumping over him ready to punch his nose.

"Wazoo!" the green man exclaimed switching places and caused the boy to crash with the tree "Haha! Foolish boy, it's not that easy to defeat the Magic Man!" he laughed.

"Shut up!" the human shouted raging against him.

"Zap!" a blue lightning was fired right through his chest "You know boy, this isn't funny anymore…you are too weak to fight me!" the yellow dressed freak said teasing his opponent while he lied defenseless on the ground.

"Wh-what have…you done to-…" Finn tried to ask weakly.

"To your cute girlfriend? Oh nothing different to what I did to the other girl on the train camp!" he answered squatting down "The only difference is that she's a sleepwalker… My, oh my…something really bad could happen to her if she wanders through these woods like that. Monsters could attack her; she could drown on the acid rivers or who knows? Fall from a cliff even!"

"Darn it…. W-why?" the young hero managed to mumble "Why her?"

"Why her you ask?" the Magic Man snorted angrily "Why her? …I remember making myself the same question over and over again on that red wasteland I used to call home! Why her? Why her?" he grabbed Finn's shirt and lifted him above his green face "My life wasn't fair boy, why should others enjoy their own? Why should others have what I lost?"

"W-what are you talking…about…" Finn struggled to keep his eyes open.

"You know why I'm doing this?" the Martian replied shaking him playfully "It's all because of that silver masked man! He destroyed my filthy house looking for something, something you stole!" he grunted shifting his mood back to anger "He burned the only memory I had left of her and it was all your fault! Well now it's your turn to suffer!" Magic Man tossed the boy against the ground "If I were you I'd start looking for her before she gets herself killed!"

Finn shivered listening to Flame Princess's screams in the distance, something had happened to her; he opened his blue eyes and noticed the fire spreading quickly in the forest. The air became dense as it was filled with the talking trees painful cries and the animal's shrieks.

"She's having nightmares it seems…" the green man whispered with a dull voice "Everyone will end up roasted if they don't put her out fast!" he laughed staring at Finn viciously.

"The forest is on fire!" "Quick! Put it out before it reaches the camp area!" the refugees yelled causing Finn to sob bitterly.

"No…that hurts her…" the young boy said weakly struggling to stand up.

"Hmmph…I wonder how long will she last…" Magic Man joked glancing at the human "What is it boy? You don't like it?" he jumped on tall branch to escape from the incoming flames "Well…EAT IT!" the martian laughed disappearing in a cloud of confetti.

"Flame Princess…" Finn whispered feeling the heat already consuming the trees that surrounded him "I'll find you…"

/

"Oh my gosh! Where's this fire coming from?" Jake asked covering his mouth to avoid breathing the smoke.

"I don't know but we should leave the forest!" the legendary hero replied doing the same "It's not save here, we must go back to the camp station and see if we can help the others to put it out!"

"P-put it…out?" Marceline murmured to herself. "_But what if…_" Inside her mind appeared the image of the young fire elemental, there was a chance that the fire had been provoked by her "Yeah you guys do that, I'll keep searching for Flame P!" she shouted flying back into the blazing woods.

"Wait, Marceline! It's a hell inside there, the fire!" Princess Bubblegum tried to warn her.

"Fuck hell!" the vampire replied from the distance, already too faraway from them.

"Don't worry, she knows what she's doing!" Billy said urging the princess to run back to the station "I hope…"

The gang ran using the last of their energy through the burning forest. The place was soon filled with chaos, something that only Hunson Abadeer could enjoy. The animals struggled to save their lives while the trees just screamed themselves to death, they couldn't move, they couldn't be saved.

"HEEEY WAIT FOR ME!" A high-pitched voice screeched from behind.

"What?" Jake turned his head "Lemongrab, you've been following us this whole time?"

"Yes fool! She said that she needed to talk with me!" the lemon guy replied pointing Princess Bubblegum with his finger.

The pink haired girl stopped her running to let him catch up with her "Yeah that's true but right now it's not the time or the place for that!" the princess said glancing him.

"Princess what are you doing?" the magic dog asked noticing that she was still waiting for the messed up earl "Run! Something could-…!"

The warning came too late. The fire burning the trees made them collapse over the road blocking the way between the princess and her friends.

"Princess Bubblegum!" the gang yelled going back to her.

"I'm okay! You have to keep moving, I'll find a way to reach you later!" her voice replied from within the flames.

"But…" Jake insisted.

"Get moving, I'll be fine don't worry!" the princess lied. One of the burning trunks had fallen over her; she couldn't move or do anything to save her own life. Bubblegum just wanted her friends to continue without her, that way they would be save and help the refugees on the station. "I'll be fine…" she whispered breathing the smoke.

The gang left, trusting her words.

"HEEY!" Lemongrab's voice resonated, how could she have forgotten about him? "What are you doing? Stand up! HURRY!" he urged not being able to understand the situation in which his creator was trapped.

"IDIOT! Ugh…I mean…" Bubblegum corrected remembering that she promised to change her behavior towards her "son". "Look I'm trapped under this tree and it's way too heavy for a single man to lift it…you better go and save yourself…"

Lemongrab walked closer to her and noticed that her pink skin was slowly melting and her clothes were getting scorched. He listened to her coughing; she was having a hard time breathing.

"H-hey…something weird is happening to you…" he said with concern. It seemed that watching his creator's possible demise had caused a strong impression on him because he said something that he had never said before "Are you okay?"

The princess chuckled weakly "No…" she answered staring at him with a guilty look "Lemongrab…I- I have something to tell you…"

Her voice was very soft and weak, the earl had to kneel beside her to be able to listen.

"I was…very cruel with you…It's not your fault to be a jerk, it's mine…" Lemongrab gasped in surprise and tilted his head "I am the real jerk…I shouldn't have sent you away, I should have taken care of you and teach you to be a citizen…you could've been happy that way, you know?" Bubblegum stopped to cough and then continued "I wish I could do something to mend what happened…I wish I could help you…but now…" she extended her hand and touched his fist "I'm sorry Lemongrab…for everything…"

That was the first that Lemongrab saw someone crying (well he was always making people cry but not like that) it was a silent crying, just tears running down her now burned cheeks.

"Lemongrab…if only I could…" she whispered struggling to remain conscious "Please forgive me…son…" the princess's head hit the ground.

The Earl of Lemongrab stood there feeling the burning flames in silence, trying to understand everything that Princess Bubblegum just said. He felt a different kind of pain growing in his small heart "Son?" he whispered staring at the unconscious princess "Really?"

"YAAAARGH!" Lemongrab screamed lifting the blazing tree that crushed his mother with an unnatural strength and threw it against the other trees that blocked the way turning them into ashes "STUPID TREE! I WON'T LET YOU! I WON'T LET YOU!"

He kneeled down grabbing the princess carefully between his arms and lifted her body. She was still breathing, he could feel her weak breath on his face "I WILL SAVE YOU!" the lemon yelled running at an amazing speed out of the burning hell.

The gang was almost at the camp station when they glimpsed a yellow flash kicking everyone out of its way and rushing into the infirmary.

"What the lumping flip was that?" a stunned Jake asked searching on his amazed friend's faces for an answer.

"I-I think…that …was…Lemongrab…" Billy answered rubbing his wide-opened eyes.

/

A lonely figure was sitting on top of a tree. The flames were climbing slowly by its stalk but he didn't seem to care, his mind was visiting another plane, a plane that only existed back in time and…on Mars.

"_For your crimes towards my people and your own family, I banish you from this land to a small planet known as Earth! There, I hope you'll learn to care about living things again…"_

"_Yeah? This is what I think of your punishment, King of Mars!" _

"_Gasp, I've had enough! Grod you know what to do with your brother…"_

"To care about living things, huh? Hehe…where are you going now girl?" Magic Man whispered observing a dim orange glow moving far from him setting the forest on fire as it advanced "You should be careful…accidents happen you know?"

"Like this one?" a feminine voice replied smashing him onto the ground.

She fell over him and immobilized his body placing her knee on his abdomen while holding his neck tightly with one of her pale hands.

"Wh-what the plum are you, unholy thing?" the Martian asked struggling to breathe.

"I can easily become your worst nightmare if you don't tell me where is she!" the Vampire Queen sentenced pushing his head against the ground.

"She who?" he answered back not taking her seriously.

"You know what I'm talking about!" Marceline yelled showing him her fist menacingly "The fiery girl, what have you done with her?!"

"Oh!…" he spat smiling from ear to ear "Was she a friend of yours? I had no idea!" he turned his head away and glanced the dim light glowing from afar "There she is, go for her just try!" the Martian laughed, "Let's see if you can bring her back!"

Marceline could have hit his stupid face and finish him off once and for all but she was too concerned about his last phrase. Magic Man could of course, just be messing with her to keep himself alive and it worked, but just because she wouldn't dare to risk Flame Princess's life stupidly.

"Yeah, we'll see about that!" the vampire tossed him out her sight and headed towards her young friend spending the little energy she had left.

Flame Princess was on the ground again. Her eyes were tightly shut and her mind was trapped on a dreamscape where she had to deal with her worst fears, she was a monster, a powerful one. She was attacking her loved ones mercilessly and they were attacking her back. Everything was so real, even the pain that she felt each time they tried to put her flames out. She wished she could just awake from that nightmare but it was useless. She kept walking.

The sound of falling water reached her ears but it was impossible for her to sense anything that came from the real world, just the pain. Her feet were driving her blindly towards a waterfall's edge and Marceline didn't fail to realize that she was in grave danger.

"Flame P! Stop!" the vampire yelled arriving to her side but the fire elemental ignored her "Hey, snap out of it!" she insisted shaking her shoulders violently. It didn't work.

"Flame Princess!" Marceline yelled this time slapping her face in a desperate attempt to bring her back to reality.

The pain. She could only perceive the pain and it made her even angrier "Enough!" the fiery princess shrieked bursting the vampire out of her way.

"Darn it…" the black haired girl muttered putting out the flames on her clothes not noticing that she was hurting her friend again.

"I said…ENOUGH!" the fire elemental shouted attacking Marceline with a powerful blast but she managed to dodge it before it could hit her.

"W-where did she get that energy? She wasn't even able to lit a cigarette a while ago…" the Vampire Queen wondered springing back into the air "Thank Glob she hasn't transformed or we'd really be screwed!"

That green guy wasn't kidding, she couldn't bring Flame Princess back no matter how hard she tried and each time wanted to push her away or drive her far from the waterfall, the young princess would blast her at the mere touch of her hands. There was nothing else to do; if Marceline wanted to save her she'd have to go back for the Magic Man…and fast.

/

"You should stop walking…" he whispered watching the whole scene "I'm warning you, I warned you not to get close to the edge…and you fell…" the Martian felt the vampire's eyes on him and he raised his head to return the stare "Why her?"

"You tell me, psycho!" she yelled slamming him against the ground for the second time "Break that spell!"

"What spell?" Magic Man joked finishing with the last of her patience.

Despite her lack of strength, her fist stroke his green features breaking his nose with ease "She's about to kill herself! Tell me how to bring her back!"

"Hehe…" he laughed feeling the blood pour down from his face "that spell…" his eyes met her's with a sudden burst of anger "She won't listen to you, she won't listen to anyone!"

"You think I don't know that?!" Marceline shouted back crashing his head with the ground "I need to save her fast so spill it before I decide to kill you!"

"She can only feel pain but it's not physical pain what will bring back, there must be suffering…suffering from that boy. He's the only who can break the spell!"

"The boy? Are you talking about Finn?" she asked loosing her grasp on him "but he's unconscious, I left him on the infirmary!"

"Flame Princess! Stop!" the human boy's distant cries reached her pointy ears.

"You were saying?" Magic Man teased her grinning stupidly.

"I don't know who's worst, you or that reckless runt!" the vampire replied stamping him against a tree and flied back to the young hero's aid.

/

Finn stumbled holding on to whatever his hands could reach before falling, he was at the waterfall's feet watching with horror how his girlfriend stepped closer to death above him "Flame P, listen!" he shouted in vain.

Flame Princess was very close to the edge now, one step and that would be it. Knowing that his screams were useless the young human rushed back into the forest and began to kick a small tree desperately. If only he had his Demon Blood sword he would have already slashed its trunk to carry out his improvised plan to save the red haired girl he like-liked so much.

Magic Man appeared behind a bush to continue observing the mess he had provoked, Finn's struggle was giving him a stomachache. It remembered him about that day two hundred years ago when he tried with all his strength to save her but, what use did it have? She died anyway and it wouldn't be any different this time either.

The human boy had lost his patience and was now attacking the tree with his bare hands, hurting himself just for that flaring girl's sake "Give up already fool…it's too late now, don't you see?" the Martian mumbled dryly "You can't save her, just how I couldn't-…" his words were cut off by Finn's victorious whine.

He had done it and he was now struggling to drag the log into the acidic waters before him. The Martian wasn't able to figure how by doing that the boy would save his girl, it didn't make sense. But at least he was trying to do something about it; Finn didn't stay there watching her fall like…like he had done two centuries ago.

Magic Man remembered that day clearly, it was a day that Lincoln never allowed him to forget always remarking how he stopped being really cool after that terrible night at Olympus Mons, the tallest mountain in Mars and in the Solar system.

They were just enjoying one of their many adventures, she loved to hike and he decided to take her there where he knew she'd live the adventure of her lifetime but it ended up being the last adventure of her life.

He warned her not to get close to the edge but she didn't listen. She used to be so stubborn, that was one of her characteristic traits and he really loved that about her.

"Flame Princess, you gotta stop now!" Finn's desperate cries brought the Martian back from his memories.

The human was shouting his lungs off as he watched with terrified eyes how his loved one plunged into the roaring waters towards her inevitable demise. Everything was happening like it did that painful night. Magic Man closed his eyes not wanting to revive that scene again but by doing this he just drifted into a flashback.

"_Margles, you gotta stop now!"_

_She didn't listen and made one more step backwards not realizing that the mountain's edge was right behind her. _

He screamed in terror just like the young hero was doing at that same moment.

"_Nooo!" _

_Magic Man leaped towards the edge and managed to hold her hand but they both were sweating, she was slipping. He tried, he really tried but it was impossible to hold her. The distressed Martian could only sit there extending his arm to the emptiness as he watched her disappear within the reddish clouds of their planet. In a moment she was gone. In a moment he was left alone with nothing but a framed picture of her embracing him during one of their famous adventures. It a moment his heart was broken and he never returned to be the same man. _

The green man clenched his teeth feeling the tears gather inside his eyes, he was just looking for revenge. It was Finn's fault that a strange masked-shadow had entered his house and destroyed that picture; he wanted to make him pay. He wanted the human to suffer what he had suffered but it turned out to be too much for him.

"Awaken…"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry, I liked Sons of Mars so much that I couldn't help it...anyway did you heard the news? (If you haven't skip this for the sake of spoilers on Lady & Peebles) Finn's going to be an uncle! Who would have thought that Jake was on tier 15, huh? Adventure Time is such a freaking awesome cartoon, man I can't believe it!

Now I'm going to do something I don't usually do cause I've got nothing else to do xD (not that I don't appreciate your comments, on the contrary, they make my day!)

**Trickster205:** No. Remember that Marshall Lee is the Ice King's version of Marceline in his fanfiction universe and it's possible that he has his own Vampire Queen to fight on that universe. Gender-swaped characters don't exist on Finn and Jake's world :) For your other question, you'll see Flame P do something awesome in the next chapter.

**Guest:** Thanks!

**mrdirtguy3:** I hope you find the rest of the story interesting.

**Allen:** Your idea actually inspired me to create the whole PB's conflict with her "son" on this chapter, thank you and I hope that you have enjoyed it!

**DinoRAWR2919:** Hey your stories are awesome too! When will you update your "Accidents Happen" fic? You let me hanging with the suspence xD By the way, let's see...last update was on Thursday and today it's Tuesday! I did it, I updated sooner! Sorry if sometimes it takes me awhile to do it, I'll try to update once a week :)

**DubbleDuelSword:** I'm glad you're enjoying my story! Thanks for the support!

**dragonbornmatt:** Whoa, thank you very much! I hope the rest of the story keeps being as good as you said.

**silentkiller1191:** I'm actually your fan for being my fan, thanks for all your support. I really appreciate it!

Well that's it, see you in the chapter. Next week hopefully!


	27. The noble jerk!

Tale 27: The noble jerk!

Magic Man closed his eyes afraid of what could have happened after he freed Flame Princess from the sleepwalking curse. The sound of splashing water filled his ears making him shiver and hide behind his bush "Oh brother, what have I done?" the Martian cried visualizing Grob Gob Glob Grod's faces.

"Got ya!" Finn's voice alerted him of something he never believed to be possible.

He took a deep breath and found the strength to peek out of his hiding again. There he was, that reckless human boy had somehow managed to push the log into the acid and spring over it to catch the fire elemental just in time to save her life. But the Magic Man doubted again, how was Finn going to return towards the ground's safety? The couple was completely surrounded by the corrosive waters and the acid was already consuming the piece of wood where the young hero was standing.

Flame Princess opened her eyes slowly; at first she couldn't realize what had happened to her, she was lying on Finn's arms while he turned his head in every direction desperately looking for something. Her senses began to sharpen with every passing second, soon she was conscious enough to see the waterfall roaring behind them, to smell her savior's sweat and hear the cracking sound of the burning wood beneath them.

"Where?" the fiery girl mumbled almost unperceptively. Then it hit her, she was about to fall on the acid river! Totally startled by her knew discovery the princess did something any scared person would have done; get in a state of panic. "How the heck did I get here?!"She yelled holding on to Finn's chest tightly.

"Whoa! Flame P! Calm down!" the human boy replied losing his balance "You'll make us fall!" the log under his feet broke in half "Uh-oh…"

"Please don't tell me now that everything is going to be fine!" Flame Princess shouted closing her eyes. She could feel how Finn's feet were being droved away from each other by the water.

"Ugh…don't worry, everything's gonna be fi-…oh fudge…"

/

When did the Vampire Queen become soft enough to help anyone that just popped out in her way? She couldn't tell. It was all Finn's fault; hanging out with him has affected her selfishness to the point where she couldn't even ignore distant cries pleading for help. Her body moved involuntarily towards the opposite direction from where Finn and Flame Princess were.

"No! What am I doing? Finn needs me!" Marceline grunted turning around.

"Please, someone!" the desperate voice continued to pierce her ears.

"I don't have time!" the vampire yelled covering her ears to stop hearing the cries.

"Anyone! Please help me!"

"Damn you supersonic hearing!" she complained stepping on the ground "I'm sorry whoever you are but I have to let you die!"

"HELP PLEASE!"

"Ugh! All right!" She replied with determination hoping that she'd be fast enough to aid both her teammates and the desperate stranger.

When Marceline arrived to the place where the cries were coming from she found a small pointy tent made with a colored fabric with Indian-like symbols, inside it, two little brown-haired creatures with big pink ears were hugging each other and crying in fear while the fire spread quickly around them.

One of them raised his gaze and noticed the pale girl floating over them "W-who are you?" the little guy asked tightening his grip on the female creature beside him.

"Don't let the fangs scare you, here grab my hand," the Vampire Queen answered extending her arm towards them. The couple kept staring at her nervously "Hurry, will ya? I don't have all night!"

"Pan…" the girl asked getting closer to his ear "do you think we can trust her?"

"We'll have to, Rainy, it's the only way!"

"Yeah, nobody else will dare to enter this hell; I'm your only chance." Marceline replied after having actually heard their whispering "C'mon I don't bite!" she paused for a moment "Well…I'll try not to!"

"Paaan!" the girl complained with a mistrustful look on her pink face.

"I know Rainy, I know…"

/

The sweat was slipping down his neck, his leg was bothering him badly because he had to support his weight and Flame P's while he stood on a full split praying to Glob that the acid didn't reach his pants. The human boy was immobilized; there was no way for him to do anything in that position.

"F-Finn are you okay?" the girl in his arms asked with concern. By now she had already accepted that, unless a miracle happened in that right moment, the acid would consume the wood that kept them afloat and they'd just die there.

"You know? Despite the fact that my pants are about to get burned, that I'm not flexible enough to do a full split and that my leg is killing me, I've never felt so excited in my life!"

"I-is that some kind of sarcasm?" Flame Princess asked fixing her gaze on the bubbling waters anxiously.

"Nope, it's just that… don't you think this is thrilling? I mean this is what every adventurer longs for!" he forced a smile and stared at her while struggling to keep her body away from the water.

"Dying?" she replied still not getting his point.

"Okay, I understand that I have developed a tendency to drive myself to the point of almost and/or getting killed, but that's not what I was talking about. Look maybe you think things are bad but the good the news are, that it can't get any worst than this!"

"Yeah, huh…what could be worst than drowning in a river of acid?"

Finn chuckled enjoying the princess's look of disbelief "At least it's a nice night, I mean, it could be raining! And we are together, ain't that something good?"

"Well…under these circumstances…"

"C'mon Flame P! Always look on the bright side of life or was it the bright side of death? How does Jake sing that song?" the boy wondered turning his head towards the starless night sky.

She chuckled understanding his idea of just ignoring their inevitable fate and enjoy their last moments together "I think both ways would work nicely with our situation" the princess said joking along with him.

"That's exactly what I was going to-…My BUTT!" Finn cried trying to keep his balance after getting distracted and letting the water touch his rear end.

Flame Princess' smile disappeared and the look of frustration was back on her face "Finn you-…you know you can just leave me here and find a way to save yourself. You are more resistant to water, you could make it!"

"And you know that I'd rather drown with you than doing what you just said!" she noticed a trace of anger in his voice "Don't ever say that again, please…" he held her closer softening his features "Besides…what's a little burn on the buttocks?"

"I think your brain just went all stupid again" she replied following his game.

"It only happens when I look at you," the human boy whispered placing a peck on her cheek.

The princess blushed staring at him blankly and felt like laughing, even if the acid was already burning Finn's shoes and if she knew that everything would be over soon, Flame P laughed. Cause sometimes it's better than crying, better than getting mad. She didn't have anything to lose, what could be better than dying in the arms of the boy she loved, feeling his heart beats on her chest, listening to his joyful laughter and letting him caress her forehead with his nose?

It was like he said, at least they were together, at least he could feel her warmth. He could remember when he lied on the Underworld exhaling his last breath; his body was numb and cold. He was dying alone, feeling the pain of his mortal wounds and missing her presence next to him, when she held his arm so tenderly within her grasp. Now she was with him, this time there was no pain or cold to bear, so why not laugh? Why not having a happy ending?

Magic Man stared at the scene with astonishment, they were going to die but they seemed to be enjoying it. Would it have been like that if he had found the courage to jump after Margles? Would he have been able to reach her and embrace her one last time? Those thoughts had always tormented his heart, ever since that accident, the certain of being able to be with her and ascend to Glob World together but not being brave enough to do it, was what withered his soul over the last two hundred years.

Why was he doing this? To show himself what could have happened if he had been brave like Finn? Or just to soothe his suffering at other's expense, like he had done since the King of Mars banished him to Earth? His heartless pranks or "mystical magic favors" like he called them, had only one true purpose: To show others that he was a jerk. It was always the same life lesson, "Never help out jerks!" and he was the biggest jerk on Earth just like he was in Mars.

"Are you proud?" a husky voice asked.

"What? Who said that?" the Martian replied searching for the source of that voice.

"Over here you idiot! I'm on your shoulder!"

Magic Man couldn't believe his eyes. That face was impossible to forget, even after two centuries of not seeing him. A small version of the same Abraham Lincoln that sentenced him to abandon his native planet was staring at him with his arms folded and an angry frown.

"No! It can't be you! Death took your immortality, you can't be here!" the green man yelled falling on his butt with fear.

"You are right, I'm not the true King of Mars. I'm just a memory of him; I'm the manifestation of your subconscious!"

"Shouldn't my subconscious look like myself?" Magic Man asked swiping the dirt off from his clothes.

"No because you can't take yourself seriously!" the small Lincoln yelled angrily "But you're still talking to yourself, I'm just a figment of your disturbed imagination. Never forget that!"

"Pfft! I don't need any of this nonsense!"

"You think so? Then why have you been debating mentally all this time about your past and those kids' struggle? Why did you free the girl from the curse? What's the point of doing all of this?" Abe questioned harshly.

"I don't know, okay?" the Martian replied with frustration "I don't know! I just wanted someone else to feel what I felt but…I just saved that boy from that fate to see what could have happened if…"

"If you weren't a jerk?" Lincoln finished his phrase raising an eyebrow "You considered yourself a jerk for not trying to save Margles, not just that, you did become a jerk after the accident." Abe's image jumped from Magic Man's shoulder and floated over the bushes "Look at them, they were never meant to endure the same fate that you and Margles faced. Does letting them die after watching that boy being the hero that you never were is really worth it? What if Finn was a coward like you, what would you have proved by doing this?"

"That cowards are jerks?" Magic Man answered reluctantly.

"No! Idiot!" His subconscious snorted with frustration "You wouldn't have proved anything at all! Don't you see? You can't change what happened two centuries ago! Yeah it's true, you have the right to believe that you were a jerk but…get over it man! You are not the first one to suffer a loss and you aren't the last one either!"

"So what? It's still painful!" the Martian shouted trying to slap the translucent image of Lincoln in front of him.

"I understand but having other lovers suffer what you suffered won't heal your pain or bring Margles back! Think about her; do really believe that she wanted you to become a jerk? Do you really think that she wants others to feel what you have felt all these years?"

"Margles…?" Magic Man whispered while glancing at the teenagers.

They didn't look as peaceful as before, the acid was about to reach Finn and he just pressed his face against the princess' forehead while holding her hand tightly. Both were clenching their teeth and keeping their eyes shut while they waited for the end.

"Now tell me, Magic Man. Are you proud of showing the world that you are a jerk?" Lincoln asked landing on the Martian's shoulder again. "Are you proud of being the same jerk that didn't go after his love?"

"No, I'm…"

"Are you going to let those sissy do-gooders die?" his subconscious replied eagerly.

"Well, I could…"

"Do you want Margles to be proud of you? Don't you want her to be happy?"

"YES I WANT TO!" the yellow-dressed man shouted jumping out of the bushes and running towards the acid river.

Finn and Flame Princess heard him coming and stared at him with confusion. The boy then grunted angrily thinking that the green creep was just going to start teasing them, but when he arrived to the river's edge, the Magic Man waved at them with a grin.

"Good night my children, are you enjoying the show?" the Martian noticed Finn's full split position and how the water was almost touching his pants "Oh no! I sense that your boing loings are about to be boiled, thankfully I'm here to save you from such a pitiful fate!" he winked at the fiery girl with a mischievous smile and clapped his hands yelling "Wazoo!"

The teenagers vanished from the river's surface just before the acid could, indeed, burn Finn down there and they instantly reappeared on the grass before the Magic Man in a puff of yellow smoke. Their eyes were still shut and they were embracing each other when the green man stepped between them separating their tensed bodies and sitting on the ground as well. Throwing his arms around the couple's shoulders and pulling them closer to him, Magic Man sighed with relief.

"Well wasn't that exciting? You can thank me now!" he laughed cheerfully.

"Are you mad?" Finn replied furiously "You tried to kill Flame P!"

"Wrong, my boy! I saved her _after_ trying to kill her!" the young hero's fist was suddenly buried into the Magic Man's face "Not again!" he complained falling backwards while rubbing his broken nose "So much aggressiveness, no wonder this world is a mess!"

"C'mon FP, let's go look for the others…" the boy said helping her stand up but when he pulled her a stinging wave ran through his injured leg "stupid why-wolf!" he complained in annoyance after falling back over the grass.

"That wound looks pretty bad, here, lean on me…" This time it was the princess' turn to help him up. She grabbed his arm and passed it around her neck to pull him, letting the boy rest his weight on her.

"Freeze right there you two!" the Martian yelled throwing confetti at them but not really casting a spell "You might need this!" he took off his large backpack and showed them Princess Bubblegum's purse.

"Where did you-? You had it all the time! Now I'm going to kill him!" Finn yelled trying to rage against Magic Man but Flame Princess prevented him from doing so.

"Why are you helping us?" she asked catching the small pink bag.

"Who says I'm helping you?" the green man replied turning his face away "You're just a pair of sissy do-gooders!" he glanced back at Flame P "By the way match-head, haven't you noticed the fire around us? You're burning the entire forest!"

"I-I did this?" she wondered turning her head around and then lowered her shoulders trying to relax herself, putting out her flames at the same time "Look what you've made me do!" the princess yelled after having observed all the damage she had provoked "What's wrong with you?"

"So many things that you wouldn't be able to bear it, young princess!" Magic Man answered still rubbing his nose.

"This guy's as messed up as the Ice king" Finn explained while letting her heal his leg with the Cyclops's tears. "It's no use trying to reason with him."

"I understand but…he did save us, didn't he?" Flame P replied fixing back her gaze at the helpless freak with the twisted nose. "We owe him that much…"

The young hero smiled warmly at her and stood up grabbing the small crystal bottle "Here" Finn said offering Magic Man the Cyclops's tears.

"For me?" the Martian asked staring at him with wide-opened eyes. The boy nodded in response "Oh my!" he yelled in excitement and proceeded to heal his broken nose dropping a single tear over it. "You are a really righteous pair!" the man commented giving the crystal container back to Finn.

"Huh? You really think so?" the human boy asked after blinking in confusion.

"Sure and that's why…" Magic Man's hand smashed the bottle out of Finn's grasp shedding the precious liquid on the ground.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME, BUTT?" Finn screamed bursting furiously over him but with a simple "Wazoo!" the Martian was quickly teleported to a tall branch.

"I thought that you had learned your lesson, boy!" Magic Man shouted smiling joyfully "You mustn't go around helping out jerks!" he remembered him before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"_See ya later, suckers!" _

/

Finn extended his arm to feel the soft surface where he was laid to rest, he couldn't remember how many times he had wished to be able to sleep on a warm bed since they left the Marauder's village. But there was a price to pay in order to enjoy that kind of privilege. The adventurer leaned forward frowning his brow at the chubby clown lady that was kissing his formerly injured leg insistently.

He couldn't understand why Marceline had to bring them to the infirmary. Even after he explained her that Flame Princess used the Cyclops's tears to heal his wound, the vampire just rolled him, Flame P and the two furry creatures into the log cabin shouting things like "I'm too tired to stand your baby whims!" Then she just let herself fall on a bed and covered her face with a pillow. Well, maybe the Vampire Queen just wanted to take a nap on a confortable bed, and it wasn't a bad idea if he looked at it from that point of view, what was bad was the fact that the head clown nurse would keep scolding him with her "I don't care if Mr. See's tears healed the wound, you still need plenty of rest to recover and lot's of smoochies!" But why only him? Marceline and Flame P were allowed to leave after few hours but the nurses insisted on keeping him literally tied to bed until the midnight train departed.

Finn sighed throwing his head back on the soft pillow and glanced at the wooden ceiling wondering what time was. He would have loved to yell "Adventure Time!" and leap out of bed, but that wasn't going to happen. Outside he could still hear female voices shouting around "C'mon ladies, this people needs more than just smooches!" they were probably more clown nurses carrying the Cyclops's head on large cart and offering for the first time since he met them a proper medical treatment to those who were affected by the fire, speaking of which, the human boy couldn't avoid to turn his head towards the empty bed on his right.

When he arrived to the infirmary he saw Princess Bubblegum lying there in a pretty bad condition with a freaked out Lemongrab yelling at the nurses to heal her. Her body looked as messed up as the time when she was kept at the Candy Hospital shortly after the Lich almost had her killed. (Even if it was the Ice King's fault in the first place) but when Finn woke up from his "induced nap" (notice another bump on his head courtesy of the Vampire Queen) she wasn't there anymore, just the white blankets moved aside messily and few bandages left over the mattress.

"W-where is Princess Bubblegum?" he asked raising his gaze at the clown nurse again.

"She just left a few minutes ago, don't worry, we checked her condition to make sure if she was fully recovered and we declared that it was okay to discharge her!" the orange haired woman gave him a smile "It was all thanks to the lemon man, he saved her life you know?"

"Really? How was that?" Finn replied with curiosity.

"He lifted the tree that had her trapped in the flames and opened the blocked road all by himself!" she blushed clapping her chubby cheeks with her hands "Who would have thought that he was such a strong man!"

"Whoa!" the young adventurer exclaimed actually feeling happy for the lemon weirdo. Soon the news about how Lemongrab rescued Princess Bubblegum from her certain death would spread through the land hopefully changing everybody's thoughts about him and maybe even, granting him a good amount of popularity, especially among the candy citizens.

"There he IS!" A high-pitched lady cry ended with the peaceful environment that surrounded our hero Finn and it was followed by other hundred eager screams creating an annoying row outside the infirmary.

The human raised his head to peek through the window and saw a bunch of ladies chasing a bothered Lemongrab throughout the camp station. It happened faster than he thought it would, the sour Earl of Lemongrab became a hero and in just one night! Finn didn't know if he had to feel jealous or just confused about this, cause you know, it took him years of battles, victories and defeats to gain the title of hero in Ooo, how come the lemon guy got it so easily?

"Oh well…" the boy sighed lying down on his bed "Everybody gets what they deserve, and I guess Lemongrab deserved popularity more than anyone…"

"ARGH! GO AWAY! Touching the Earl is unacceptable! UNACCEPTABLE I SAY! STAND BACK!"

"Yeah…that's what he deserved…" Finn yawned closing his eyes once more.

/

Nothing is more amusing than setting things on fire, especially for a fire elemental. They were born to consume and destroy, that's their nature and it's fine for them, even for her. Well, not anymore. Since she left her homeland, Flame Princess has developed a certain conscience on when it's right to burn and when it's not, it's been hard but thanks to her cosmic amulet things have been a lot more easier, especially when she has to enter in contact with non-fire elementals.

But even though she has gotten to control her aggressive nature, she was still being the source of every fiery disaster that happened in Ooo.

Flame Princess sneaked carefully to small coal wagon and snatched a few nuggets of the primitive fuel, hiding near to the camp's border with the Forest of Trees she decided to stuff her mouth with it before someone could see her.

"You know, that kind of behavior is not suitable for a princess…"

The fiery girl flinched at the voice behind her, almost choking with her snacks in the process "P-Princess Bubblegum?" Flame P managed to say after coughing several times to spit out the coal. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry!" the pink girl chuckled walking to her side "So, I heard I wasn't the only one who faced a near-death experience today, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine but I'm more worried about you, the fire-…"

"Don't worry about it, you know it's not your fault." Bubblegum replied patting Flame P's shoulder "You were under a spell, that Magic Man is the one who should be blamed for this."

The fiery princess smiled at her "Thanks." She knew that Princess Bubblegum was right, she wasn't conscious of what she was doing when she almost burnt down the whole forest and after she left the infirmary every refugee made sure of letting her know that they didn't blame her for what happened. "Actually people has been very kind to me, but I wonder if the forest thinks the same…the trees took the worst of it…"

"Well, we could check on them if that makes you feel better" the candy ruler grabbed her hand and led her to the forest.

"W-wait! I don't really-…" the fire elemental tried to reply as the other princess dragged her into the woods.

"To watch after others health, even if they are not part of your kingdom, is considered a great virtue for a princess" Bubblegum explained pulling the young royal to her side "C'mon don't be shy!"

Flame Princess gulped nervously and knelt close to a fallen tree, she could feel the gazes of the other plants over her but she couldn't tell if they were mad at her of just curious of what she was doing. She touched the burned trunk softly and whispered "My flames did this, but I never meant to kill or harm any you…I'm sorr-…"

"Ring, ring! Ring, ring! Ring, ring!" three tiny voices said cutting off her apology "We are right here, you're looking in the wrong direction fire lady!"

The red haired girl gasped in surprise when three acorns jumped on her lap and smiled gently at her. Princess Bubblegum noticed them and sat next to Flame Princess grinning in the same way.

"You may think that you killed the trees!" one of them commented.

"But you really didn't!" another one followed.

"We are a part of them and we are here to replace them!" the third one replied.

"You see? That's how nature works" Bubblegum took the three acorns carefully and placed them on the flaring girl's open palm "This type of forests kinda depend in fire to grow and expand their diversity of species" she explained digging in the ashes with her fingers "There's this process called "ecological succession", which-…"

Flame Princess stared at her with pleading eyes, obviously demanding a simpler explanation.

"Oh, sorry…I'll try not get too excited with science." The older princess grabbed one acorn from Flame P's hand and placed it in the hole she had just dug "When a forest its destroyed the dead trees nourish the earth so that these little guys can grow and slowly heal the burned area. It'll take years before this place looks like it used to but with every stage of growth, new wildlife will appear and occupy a place in it and with time, a greater variety of species will inhabit the forest developing the diversity of the ecosystem. This will make it richer in terms of flora and fauna, also it will become more tolerant to environmental conditions and-…"

"What you are trying to say is that…after being burned down, the forest will grow stronger with time?" the fire elemental asked after trying to understand what the other princess was saying.

"Well it's a bit more complicated than that but yeah, you can think that somehow, your fire helped this forest "refresh itself" by getting rid of the old organic elements and replacing them with new ones" Princess Bubblegum reaffirmed placing the other two acorns in the soil.

"Please fire lady, cover us. It's cold!" the seeds cried glancing her.

"R-right!" she replied brushing the dirt over them. Then she remembered that she was carrying Bubblegum's bag with her and she decided to take one of the two remaining bottles of Cyclops's tears out and shed a single drop on the buried acorns. "Magic Man stole this from you, but he gave it back" Flame Princess said handling the pink purse to its owner.

"Thanks Glob he did, my cosmic weapon was inside it. Can you imagine what would have happened if had taken it away with him?"

The young princess gulped trying not to think about it and stared back the ground "Look!" she gasped suddenly elbowing her teammate "What's going on?"

Three little twisted steams emerged from the wet soil and grinned cheerfully at the two girls. "Thank you very much!"

Princess Bubblegum made a small-refined bow while Flame Princess kept staring at the newborn plants in amazement "I guess you don't see many plants sprout in the Fire Kingdom, huh?" the pink haired girl laughed "Well, aren't you going to reply them?"

"To what?" Flame P asked showing a disconcerted look in her face.

"Don't tell me that you-…what kind of princess are you?"

"A very uneducated one, I guess…" the young girl answered "Was I supposed to do something special?"

Princess Bubblegum rolled her eyes thinking of the Flame King; didn't he even bother to teach his daughter about diplomacy or at least about what being a princess was supposed to mean? "It seems I've earned two students today…" she whispered deciding to take charge of not only Lemongrab's civilization but Flame Princess's as well. "Look whenever a you receive a gesture of gratitude your are expected, as a princess, to do something similar in return…let me show you…it's all about taste and grace…"

/

"13, 14, 12-…no, 13?" Lemongrab mumbled trying to count his employee's payment.

"Maybe you are looking for number 15, boss…" Marceline suggested noticing that it was taking him more time than it was normally needed to count till fifteen. Yes, fifteen bucks. While her mates received a big one hundred dollar each to pay their boarding tickets and spent the rest on whatever they wanted, the Vampire Queen received just fifteen bucks for making her boss mad at least forty times during the day.

"You are right M, but I'll take five more from your payment for interrupting me!"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

Princess Bubblegum joined the scene giggling at her teammate "At least he paid you!"

"Hmmph!" the vampire replied walking off.

Bubblegum shook her head still amused by Marceline's attitude and then turned to her messed up creation "Hey, Lemongrab…I really wanted to thank you for saving my life!" she said getting closer to him "I feel like if I could give you hug, you know? As a good-bye thing and junk…"

"Hug wolves taught me to hug…" the Earl said "But I've done it so many times…now I think hugs are DISGUSTING!"

"All…riiight…" the princess whispered staring at the lemon with insecurity "How about a fist pound?"

"Fist? Pound?"

"Yeah, we bump our knuckles like this" she grabbed his hand and closed it to hit his knuckles with hers softly "Fist pound! And you can also make them explode, like this look…" after her fist touched Lemongrab's she retrieved hers quickly and opened her palm dramatically making the sound "Squasshhh!"

"Oh…hehe! I like this thing! Explooode! …EXPLOOODE! Hehe!"

"Great! Just remember that this doesn't have anything to do with punching people, okay?"

Princess Bubblegum wanted to make sure if he had understood the idea but when she let him go the Earl of Lemongrab was already chasing little kids around the camp yelling "Fist!" "Pound!"

"Oh for the love of-! Lemongrab! Do not punch little kids! Le-!" she turned to glance at Marceline who was watching the whole scene from her comfortable seat in mid-air "I'm going for him, please save me a place in the waiting line! Can you do that for me?"

"Sure Miss mommy, go chase your son…"

Bubblegum glared at her and sprung off to catch Lemongrab.

Meanwhile Finn and the others were making their way to Colonel Candy Corn's cabin. The human boy walked with a calm pace holding his backpack's straps while gazing at the moonless night sky until a strange sound got his attention.

There was rustling behind some bushes and a digital "Ring, ring!" coming from them. Finn knew that talking plants like to "Ring, ring" with their voices to call someone's attention but this one sounded just like a real cell phone. Curious, Finn walked away from his friends and stepped near the shrubs.

"Anybody there?" he whispered leaning down.

An almost inaudible whisper replied his question "Stupid…phone! Be quiet!"

That voice, that somewhat masculine voice could only belong to one chick…a chick with a cell phone.

"L.S.P…I know you're there…" Finn said crossing his arms but she didn't replied "C'mon I know you're not a shrub!" he laughed pushing the leaves away to reveal a Lumpy Space person covered with green paint.

"Very well…I see you saw through my ultimate camouflage, fellow adventurer!" the lumpy princess exclaimed floating out of her hiding.

"Ugh…shouldn't you be in the Lumpy Space shelter? I mean, did you follow us all the way here?" the human inquired worriedly.

"What if I did? This is a free kingdom! I can do whatever I want!" L.S.P yelled quickly losing her patience.

"But…you should have stayed! This is dangerous! I almost died a few hours ago, L.S.P. you'd better go back to your kingdom while you can!"

"No, I don't want to! Didn't you hear what that flame-head king said about me? I'm not just a bunch of irradiated stardust! I can be an intrepid adventuress if I want to!" the princess cried with determination.

Finn smiled softly at her placing a hand on her back "But that's the thing…you've never wanted to be an adventuress…I admit that you did an excellent job when we rescued Billy sometime ago but now things have raised to another level…"

"But it's not fair! Everybody is doing something using while all I do is to sit on the couch and watch you guys risking it all for us! Even that ice freak is being more useful than I am!" the Lumpy Space Princess replied with frustration.

"L.S.P…being useful does not mean that you have to risk your life…" the young hero stated calmly "You can be useful in your own way…"

"And what's my own way?" the young princess sobbed.

"Well you can…umm…" he raised his head and scanned the place "You know, lot's of people come here everyday after losing their homelands or even friends and family. They need help, someone to encourage them, someone who can tell them to stand up and continue their way despite all the bad things that have happened, and you milady, you're awesome with words and stuff! What if you stay here and help this people get some motivation?"

"Y-you mean…like a cheerleader or something?" Lumpy Space Princess asked, her eyes shining with realization.

"Ugh…yeah, something like that!"

"How about an intrepid cheerleader? Oh Glob! I feel inspired all of a sudden!" she said ripping off some leaf puffs from the bushes and started to wave them eagerly.

"Whoa awesome-!…"

"Hey you kids!" L.S.P. shouted cutting off his words "Are you sad? Don't worry, cause I'm here to cheer y'all up!" she paused to stroke her chin "Oh, I'm going to write some fabulous rhymes that'll make this bunch of depressed cuties spit rainbows out of their happiness!" "THANK YOU FINN! Now I know what my true purpose on this earthly life is! Oh yeah I know it!"

Finn stared at her with a slightly perturbed grin; her explosive attitude was sometimes…astonishing? "Great! Well…I have to go now if I want to get on the train in time! See ya later and good luck!"

Anyway, after getting their well-deserved payment and resolving motivational issues, the eight heroes-to-be got ready to finally board the Candy Train in the hopes of deciphering Madame Leotte's clue and finding the cosmic radar, because without it there was no way to succeed on their mission of stopping the Lich King.

"Thanks for paying my ticket Flame P..." the vampire girl said standing in the line to board the train. "I promise to repay you if we make it out of this mess."

"It's okay…ugh…I mean, your welcome…" the fiery princess replied holding her skirt and making a small bow.

"Hey! What's up with the formality, huh?"

"I don't know, Princess Bubblegum said that a princess should always act with decorum, grace and stuff."

"Oh… so she's teaching you the proper ways of royalty? How annoying, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes…" Marceline sighed bending back her head and resting it on her crossed hands.

"But Marceline…I'm not wearing any shoes…" Flame Princess replied lifting her skirt slightly to show Marceline her golden bare feet.

The pale skinned girl blinked in confusion before laughing at her friend "My dear, dear Flame Princess…" she kept laughing and messed her flaring hair "Bonnibel's got some hard work to do with you and that lemonade…"

"Hey what's taking so long? The passengers who were already inside the train yelled leaning out of the windows "We are late! The schedule said we were departing at midnight!"

"Calm down people, I'm sure that the train's crew will be here soon!" Colonel Candy Corn shouted trying to maintain the order "Where is that pair of good-for-nothing nitwits? I'm sure I told them an hour ago that-…"

"No! You're doing it wrong! It's up not down!"

"Nah…you're the one who's doing it wrong…it's down not up…"

Getting closer to the steaming engine, two men walked without any hurry at all trying to snatch an arrow from each other's grip. Both of them were dressed with denim overalls and a blue hat that covered their eyes, they also had a big black mustache under their huge round noses that kept their mouths out sight. However this pair of humanoids weren't as similar to each other as they seemed, one of them was short and comically fat while the other was exaggeratedly tall and thin.

"Excuse me kind sir" The shortest man said pulling Finn's shirt "Could please tell my brother that arrows are held upwards and not in the other way?"

"Kind sir!" the other one yelled rushing to the adventurer's side and started to pull his shirt as well "Tell my brother that arrows are held downwards!"

"Uh…sure, I'll help you…" the human boy replied staring at both men with disconcertment "Arrows are supposed to be-…"

"You have to hold them upwards, were the pointy part is cause it can hurt you!" the fat man said pocking Finn's arm with the arrow.

"Auch!" he complained frowning at him.

"You see?"

"No, you have to hold them downwards, were the soft part is cause it tickles!" the skinny one replied brushing Finn's nose with the feathers.

"Achoo!" the boy sneezed in short man's face.

"You see?"

"Gunzel! Foamer!" Colonel Candy Corn yelled pointing them with his cane "You are late! Forget about that arrow and get this train moving! Now!"

"Sir! Yes sir!" both men shouted in reply placing their right hands on their foreheads.

"Whoa…whoa…hold on! Don't tell me that these guys will be in charge of the train!" the Ice King complained "Cause if they will, I won't board that thing! They can hardly see with those hats on!"

"These are official railfan hats sir!" The fat man said pointing his head "Designed to make us look like classic engineers!"

"Someone please tell this "Casey Jones" to hurry, I'm starving!" Marceline begged holding her empty stomach.

"Miss, my name's not Casey Jones even though I'd love to! I'm Gunzel and I'll be your engineer during this ride!" he moved closer to the taller man and pointed him with his thumb "and this is my brother Foamer, he'll be my fireman."

"Great! So, can we get in the train now?" Jake the dog asked making his way towards the rest of the gang.

"Dude where have you been?" his human brother inquired raising an eyebrow.

"I got a phone call from Lady, but she didn't tell me anything…she got weird all of a sudden and hanged the phone…I'm worried man…" the golden dog answered lowering his gaze.

"But she looked fine when you met her at the amusement park; maybe she's just too concerned about you…"

"Yeah…I hope so…" Jake replied softly.

"Okay everyone we are ready to go!" Gunzel shouted climbing into the engine's control cabin and took out a golden watch from his overall pocket "Glob we're twenty minutes late! I'm going to ruin to my perfect "arriving in time" score! Foamer you know what to do!"

The tall man leaned out of the locomotive yelling "ALL ABOAAAAARD!"

And with that, the Candy Train departed from Colonel Candy Corn's secret camp station blowing puffs of white smoke from the candy steel chimney and whistling loudly along the road. The gang was finally leaving behind the Forest of Trees towards a very uncertain destination but trying to keep it cool despite it all.

Sitting happily on the caboose's roof, a very well-known green man in yellow tattered clothes sang without remorse while swinging his legs happily in the air _"__Around the curve and a-down the dump, two locomotives were about to bump. Fireman hollered, "Jones, it's just ahead, we might jump and make it but we'll all be dead."_

Magic Man laughed to himself "What's a hero but a noble fool?"

_'Twas around this curve he saw a passenger train; something happened in Casey's brain;_

_Fireman jumped off, but Casey stayed on, he's a good engineer but he's dead and gone-"_

"Or a noble jerk…" a soft voice giggled behind him.

"You'd better not be another figment of my disturbed imagination, cause if you are I' gonna get pretty mad!" The Martian said turning around.

And there she was, looking just like the same old Margles that he used to know, wearing her tattered purple shirt and unmatching red pants. Her curled orange hair brushed her shoulders and her eyes sparkled with a long-forgotten shade of brown.

"M-Margles?!" Magic Man gasped suddenly standing up "Is that you? …The real you?"

"The same one silly!" she laughed taking sit on the wagon's edge and indicated him to join her "Your brother saw what you did; you cared for somebody else's lives and he granted me permission to see you tonight!"

"Grob Gob Glob Grod? He...I mean, they were…watching me?"

Margles nodded and leaned her head on his shoulder "You're free to go back to Mars whenever you like…"

"B-but what about you? Will I ever see you again?" Magic Man inquired with concern.

"It's been more than two hundred years since the last time we saw each other and you're not enjoying this one little chance? You sure are a jerk!" Margles laughed "Don't worry about that…"

The Martian sighed deeply and tried to sight their red planet in the dark sky "A-are you proud of me? Even after I spent two centuries messing with suckers here on Earth?"

"Magic Man…you've been a total jerk…" she answered faking an angry voice "but you're my jerk…my noble jerk…and I love you, just like that."

* * *

**Author's notes**

**Trickster205!** Please forgive me! I know I promessed you that FP will do something awesome in this chapter but I had to leave that part for the next one otherwise it would have been a terrible long chapter and I had to divide it, I'm so sorry but next chapter will be worth it, I swear.

Ahem...well I hope you have all enjoyed this chapter, thanks for the nice comments and the support! See you next week!


	28. Turmoil in the Candy Train!

Tale 28: Turmoil in the Candy Train!

Not much happened after the eight heroes-to-be and the penguin named Gunter boarded the Candy Train, the group just walked along their wagon until they found their seats' compartment. Two rows of seats facing each other and wide enough to carry four passengers each, welcomed them inside. Susan and Flame Princess sprung in first claiming the seats next to the window for themselves while the rest followed them. Then of course, Finn sat comfortably between his brother and his girlfriend and smiled at the hyooman in front of him cheerfully.

"Do you like the train Susan?" he asked.

"It's nice inside!" she exclaimed eagerly while Billy took a sit next to her followed by the Ice King who decided to place Gunter on the carry-on baggage shelve above their seats.

"Wenk!" the penguin squawked flapping his flippers in annoyance.

Princess Bubblegum rolled her eyes at the ice wizard and pulled Gunter down gently; she sat by Jake's side and let the penguin rest on her lap "You shouldn't treat the poor thing as baggage, Ice King…" the princess scolded petting the bird.

"But I'm always carrying him! He's too lazy to walk, that classifies him as baggage for me!" the old man complained in frustration.

"Wenk!"

"Just because you're sitting on the princess's lap, doesn't mean that she likes more than me!"

"Ugh…Ice King…" Jake said stretching his arm to poke his shoulder "Princess Bubblegum doesn't like you at all…just saying!" the dog chuckled shrugging.

Gunter stuck out his tongue at his master while this one pulled his long white hair angrily.

"So, what's next?" Marceline asked closing the door that connected their seats with the wagon's side corridor "Does anyone know in which stop we should leave the train?"

The whole gang replied "Nope!"

"Oh well, so I guess that we'll just wait and see what happens, right?"

"Mmm…yeah…" Everyone answered.

The vampire was about to sit next to the annoyed wizard when someone knocked the door forcing her to stand up again and open it "Who is it?"

"Foamer here to-…excuse me miss!" the tall man pushed Marceline from the entrance to step inside the sitting compartment "Foamer is here to check your tickets so, tickets please!"

"Shouldn't you be attending the boiler, fireboy?" Marceline inquired somewhat bothered by the humanoid's presence.

The man scratched his big mustache before continuing to slide the gang's tickets through a small device that he carried in his overall pocket "Sorry miss but you're mistaken, I'm not a fireboy, it's fireman! And I'm also a proud multitask man, now if you please-!"

"Fireboy, fireman…what's the difference?" the vampire interrupted him resting her back on the door.

Foamer sighted in annoyance and extended his coal-stained hand at her "Tickets please!" she gave it to him unwillingly and he proceeded to slide it through his device. A green light blinked and a "bip!" sound came out of it "Well, everything is in order it seems!" the thin man said pulling his hat down slightly "Have a good night and enjoy the ride…oh! And please feel free to visit the dinning car whenever you like, we'll be serving meal soon!"

"MEAL?!" Everyone replied in excitement before pushing Foamer out of their way and rushing wildly towards the dinner car.

"C'mon bro! The last one's a fart!" Jake challenged running by Finn's side.

"Done!" the boy replied searching for his backpack straps but then realized that he wasn't wearing it "Oh snap! Jake, I think I left my bag on the carry-on baggage shelve. I gotta go back for it!"

"Aw man…well I'll save you a place at the table!" the yellow dog replied catching up with the rest of his teammates.

Finn gave him a thumb up and ran back through the passenger car's hallway, he was starving and he knew that his friends were too so there was a chance that they could empty out the whole kitchen before he arrived, hence the hurry. But running inside a car could be dangerous, especially were the passengers are opening their compartment's doors to go for something to eat. Finn never saw the wide cube man stepping out on the corridor and so he bumped against him and fell onto the floor watching little birdies flying around his head while the cube man left towards the dinner car muttering angrily something about "kids these days"

"_Are you sure? Do you really think that you can get him? He may not look like it but he's pretty good at this…_"

A weird voice whispered inside one of the sitting compartments as Finn tried to stand up rubbing his hurt face, he knew that it was not hero-like to get his nose in things are not his business but that voice sounded pretty suspicious. The human boy tiptoed towards the closed door and leaned his ear on it to listen better.

"_Who do you think you're talking with?! I know his tactics well enough to fight against them! I have trained a whole year for this, it's my big chance and I'm not going to waste it_!" another voice replied with a hint of anger.

"_Good for you but remember, revenge its our first priority. Don't get distracted by stupid matters, this world's going to be destroyed anyway…you know, with that Lich guy sucking all the life force_…"

"_The Lich can suck my tail! I'm going to get what I want and no one's going to stop me_!"

"_Hmmph! You are indeed qualified to be a psycho my friend…_"

"_My only friend is my weapon! Let's get going…it'll be weird if you are not at the dinning car by now…_"

Finn heard the steps coming towards him "Oh crap!" he muttered not being able to hide before the door opened, the only thing he could do was to jump back and get ready for a fight.

"Well, well…look who's here! If isn't it our dear hero Finn the Human?"

"D-Duchess of nuts?!" The startled adventurer exclaimed watching the scary-looking woman in front of him. Her feline-like eyes seemed to glow dimly due to the lack of light in the corridor. In her arms, she carried her second nut son wrapped with a warm blanket.

"What a coincidence, don't you think boy? I never thought I'd meet you here on this train…it's nice to see you though." The duchess stroked her baby's hair softly and then bowed slightly "Please excuse me Finn. My husband is waiting for me at the dinning car. Oh, and…I wish you and your friends good luck on your journey…"

Finn was paralyzed but managed to calm himself "It seems that…she didn't notice that I was spying her…" he sighed "But…who the flip was she talking to? And who are they planning to get and…for what?"

He tried to open the door but it was locked so he tried crouching and peeking through the gap between the floor and the door's frame expecting to see a pair of feet, a shadow or something but there was nothing in there. The compartment was empty. A loud growl noise tickled his abdomen, that room was empty just like his stomach.

"Guess I'll find out later…when I have filled my guts…" the young hero hopped up and continued running along the corridor.

/

When entered in the dinning car, Finn felt like if he had stepped into a long narrow restaurant with several rows of tables each one next to a window in both sides of the car. White tablecloths, polished dishes and silverware, and the soft sound of various voices chatting filled his surroundings. He felt like in one of those luxury restaurants were Princess Bubblegum used to invite him and Jake when certain especial events occurred in the Candy Kingdom. The boy walked between the tables trying to spot his friends; thankfully Jake's laughter was easy to distinguish from among the others that resonated in the room.

"How many times I have to-?!" Bubblegum complained lifting a cloth napkin "This not used to blow your noses, it goes under the table, on your laps!" With a graceful gesture the princess extended the napkin in the air and covered her lap with it "You see? That way your clothes won't get dirty when you're eating."

"Ohhh…!" her teammates replied with a genuine tone of amazement.

"But what if I need to blow my nose? Should I use my sleeve then?" the Ice King asked tilting his head.

"Of course not, that's disgusting!" Bubblegum replied rolling her eyes "You have to excuse yourself and leave the table to blow your nose in the restroom."

"What if he sneezes all of a sudden and covers the whole table with his-!?" Flame Princess inquired seeming amused by the other princess's disgusted face.

"Okay Flame P that's enough!" the pink girl said cutting her off "It's bad manners to talk about that kind of stuff on the table."

"Geez…even eating it's hard for a princess…I had no idea, there's so much weird rules and junk!" the fiery girl complained leaning on her elbow.

"No elbows on the table, please!" Princess Bubblegum ordered smiling at the annoyed princess.

"Thank Glob we're just simple dudes, right Jake?" Finn laughed pulling a chair next to his brother.

"Bro, you came just in time! We haven't ordered yet!"

"In fact he arrived just in time to order!" a familiar voice replied.

The gang turned their gazes to see a very well dressed waiter but he was not only a waiter, he was the same guy who was in charge of the boiler, the tickets and the restaurant service also?

"Wait a second! You're that Foamer guy again!" Jake exclaimed in surprise "B-but…a while ago you were…and then here and there…" the dog mumbled in confusion.

"Sir calm down please" Foamer replied adjusting his engineer hat, which didn't match at all with his new elegant outfit "I'm a proud multitask man, remember? Unlike my brother I can easily shift from one place to the other, that's my gift I think…"

Eight pairs of eyes blinked at him in astonishment.

"Anyway" the now fancy waiter said grabbing a menu from under his arm "If you'd like an antipasti I can offer you our famous "Insalata caprese" or if you'd like the main dishes instead, we have Calzone, lasagna, Pizza siciliana, Cappellini, Gnocchi and of course…a great variety of spaghetti!"

Foamer lowered the menu and stared at the hungry passengers whose mouths were pouring just because they heard a certain word "SPAGHETTI PLEASE!" the eight shouted in excitement.

"Oh! Hehe…alla Carbonara, alla Putanesca or alla Bolognese?"

"BOLOGNESE! AND HURRY UP PLEASE!"

/

The Vampire Queen's smile was immeasurable well, after days of enduring hunger how couldn't she feel in heaven? "Guys this is worth all the money!" she commented still chewing her food. (Yes chewing, even if the food had no taste for her she was too hungry to just suck the red from the "Pomodoro sauce")

"But Marcy you didn't pay for anything, it was Flam-…"

"Shut it weenie!" the vampire replied pointing the human boy with her fork and swallowed her spaghetti "I'm planning to repay her, okay?"

A pile of dirty plates was accumulated over the table as the heroes-to-be stuffed themselves joyfully ignoring the "Good manners conversation" that they were having a while ago, even Bubblegum had to fight to prevent herself from licking her empty plate.

"Ah…this is what I call a feast…" Jake sighed in pleasure rubbing his stretched belly "Yeah…heroes deserve to eat!" then he turned around searching for the waiter "Hey Foamer! What's for dessert?"

"Dessert?!" the man gasped in astonishment while carrying the pile of plates into the kitchen "You guys are still hungry?!"

Everyone nodded happily.

"Mama mia!" the humanoid gasped scratching the black hair under his hat in amazement.

By now, the passengers had already leaved the dinning car and probably locked themselves up in the sleeping cars with exception of a certain group of people who were still enjoying themselves with all kinds of candies and pastry.

"Flame P you gotta try this!" Finn said giving her a spoon full of chocolate pudding "You'll love it!"

Just by tasting the sweet flavor of chocolate the fire elemental's flames burst out startling her companions "This is WOW! I've never tasted something like this before!" she exclaimed glowing brightly.

"Yeah? Well careful with that, we don't wanna burn the tablecloth, right?" Billy replied pushing the chocolate pudding away from her.

"Wenk!"

"What is it Gunter, you want some too?" Marceline asked staring at the penguin that was sitting on a baby chair next to his master.

"Wenk!"

"You shouldn't give him that, he's supposed to be on a diet!" the Ice King said.

"Oh please, it's just a little scoop!" the vampire complained while feeding Gunter "Here you go baby!"

"Well…" Princess Bubblegum whispered standing up "If you excuse me, I'm gonna take a long beautiful shower and then I'll be going to bed!"

"You read my mind…" Marceline replied covering her mouth to yawn, "Let's go to bed girls. Susan, Flame P…"

"Right!" the hyooman yawned as well.

"Goodnight guys!" Flame Princess said leaving the table.

"Sleep well!" Finn shouted waving at them "We should go to sleep too, don't you think Jake?"

"RIGHT AWAY!" the magic dog answered cheerfully.

/

Two narrow rooms waited for the adventures to make themselves comfortable inside them. The bedrooms were small and simple consisting of two bunks at each side of the room with almost no space between them but still suitable enough for four exhausted people. The guy's door faced the girl's room and at the end of the corridor was a small bathroom that had to be shared between them, thankfully the gentleman were sweet enough to let the ladies use it first as they (with exception of Susan who didn't care and Flame Princess for obvious reasons) were sick of being sweaty and stinky.

"It would be easier to dry your hair if you take off your hat, you know?" Princess Bubblegum suggested holding a hairdryer in one hand and a brush in the other at the same time that she struggled to finish cleaning Susan.

Even if the hyooman didn't want to, Bubblegum, Marceline and Flame Princess forced her to be the first one to bath cause really, the room was too small and she was beyond dirty and smelly for the other girl's taste. So after battling with the wild woman in the shower and finally getting her clean enough to be accepted in the girl's room, Bonibel proceeded to fix her long blonde hair.

"No way, enough torture for Susan!" She replied pulling her cat hat down tightly.

"Well, at least I tried…" the candy ruler sighed stroking the hyooman's hair "Fine, you can go to bed now…"

Susan left the bathroom in a huff and jumped into her bed glad of finally being able to get the rest she deserved. Princess Bubblegum stepped into in the room behind her removing her golden tiara and shooting off her pink sneakers lazily.

"I go next!" she proclaimed dropping her body on the other lower bed but before she could say another word, a black flash rushed down from the bed above her and slammed the bathroom's door "Marceline!" the princess cried running behind her and knocked the door angrily "Didn't you hear what I said?!"

"_Sorry Princess…you snooze, you lose!"_ the Vampire Queen replied from inside the bathroom.

Princess Bubblegum growled knowing that she couldn't do anything now but to wait. She entered the room again, grabbed her purse and searched for her Ancient Quantum physics and Mechanics book. With resignation, she sat on the corridor's floor and began to read.

"_Oh look! Free toothbrushes!"_ Marceline commented from the other side of the door_ "I can't remember the last time I actually brushed my fangs!"_

"I'm not going to complain of how disgusting you are if that's what you want me to do…" Bubblegum replied turning a page.

"_D-disgusting? You know how hard brushing your teeth is when the only thing you see in the mirror is a toothbrush floating around?!" _

"Nope…" the princess answered focused on her reading "Say, are you sure that you don't how you managed to make the cosmic sphere work?"

"_Nope…"_ the vampire replied imitating her.

"It's just…this book says something about some warping spheres, you see, there was this concept about inter-dimensional travels…developed by humans centuries ago." Bubblegum explained shifting from one page to another.

"_Centuries? _ _How many, huh?"_

"Primitive scientists developed the first model around the year 2011, what I don't understand is…if this sphere is some kind of human-made device and there are probably a lot more like this buried or scattered around the planet, what makes this one a cosmic weapon?"

Princess Bubblegum grabbed the pink sphere and stared at it with curiosity.

"_How am I supposed to know that? I wasn't born in 2011…I think, I lost my track of time some decades ago…I guess I can't be sure about it."_

"What if…this sphere wasn't a cosmic weapon originally? What if someone turned it into a cosmic weapon?" the princess snapped her fingers at the realization of something "Billy's sword wasn't a cosmic weapon originally either, we turned into one!"

"_So?_"

"Well, some days ago we were wondering if the sapphires that adorned the weapons had some kind of meaning…" she answered playing with the sphere.

"_But your ball doesn't have one, have you noticed that?"_

Bubblegum rolled her eyes "Marceline I'm not blind, of course I have noticed that! My point is, what if someone inserted one of those sapphires in this sphere's mechanism?"

"_Wait, are you saying that those sapphires are what make the weapons special? Then…what the heck are those sapphires? And how is it that…by proving that we are worth of them…cause it's a really stupid idea, you know? That only true heroes can unleash their real power...we don't even know what real hero is to begin with!"_ Marceline shouted in frustration.

"Calm down please, I'm just trying to develop a theory." The princess lifted her sphere and stared at it closely before stroking her chin thoughtfully "The sapphires are what makes them special…the sapphires are the source of their power but it's not easy to trigger it or understand how they work. Hmm…"

Inside the Princess Bubblegum's mind the ideas began to drift randomly. So far they had collected five cosmic weapons but the only one able to use his correctly has been Billy, maybe because he actually managed to defeat the Lich and seal him with the cosmic gauntlet or Hero's gauntlet as her predecessors decided to name it. There was the "Duplet Bracelet" that the Ice King got after beating the Party God's game but it didn't seem to be a powerful item at least not like Billy's sword…was there something more that they needed to figure about it aside from its ability to literally duplicate its user powers? And what about the silver cross that Marceline got in the Nightosphere? She was automatically able to seal the Vampire King inside the Nightosphere Amulet with it in the same way she that was able to use the pink sphere to warp inside it...But even after doing that, Marceline couldn't explain how she did it. Bubblegum herself had managed to use the sphere for a brief moment to save the gang inside the labyrinth and she couldn't tell how either. And finally, there was Flame Princess's amulet. That thing was one of those sapphires itself and according to the Ice King it was created by some ancient fire elemental wizard named Pyralis who wished to interact peacefully with the world around him just as much as Flame P.

But then another question rose from this thoughts, how could Pyralis be the one who created it if there are seven more with the same mystical powers hidden somewhere in Ooo? Where did the others come from and how could that fire elemental get the one he possessed? Nothing made sense; there was no way for Princess Bubblegum to crack this while she waited in the passenger car's corridor.

"Hey, Marceline" the princess called knocking the bathroom's door. The sound of the shower's water hitting the floor ceased.

"_What is it?"_ the vampire replied after a few seconds.

"Has Flame Princess told you something about the Pyralis' sapphire? Like if that jewel does more than just preventing her fire from burning?"

"No, not really…" Marceline answered finally stepping out of the bathroom while drying her long hair with a towel "I don't think that she even cares about it. The only thing that matters for her is to be able to cuddle with her runt without harming him."

"Yeah…I guess you're right." Bubblegum said biting her thumb's nail.

The Vampire Queen rested her back on the wall and crossed her arms "Speaking of Flame P, there's something I've been wiling to ask you…" the candy ruler gave her a puzzled look "This morning she was so weakened by hunger that she couldn't even lit a small candle or fly but when she was under the Magic Man's curse, she almost destroys the whole forest and attacked me. Thankfully she didn't transform, maybe because of the hunger but…where did Flame P get that power?"

"Well…I don't know much about fire elementals…" the princess answered uncertainly "I can't really help you with that…"

"That's a shame." The vampire whispered "I hoped that you'd know something about her, since you talked with the Flame Ki-…uh-oh…" she bit her tongue to stop the words from coming but it was a little too late.

"M-Marceline! How do you? Were you spying us?!"

"Oh no, it wasn't my fault!" Marceline replied in her defense "Finn was the one who wanted to-…I caught him before he could follow you, I swear!"

"Well whatever, just tell Finn to stay away from that. What the Flame King and I mentioned in that conversation is not his business, at least not until-…"

"Until he marries her, that was exactly what I told him! So, now that we agree with that, would you tell me what's wrong with her?"

"_No!_" Princess Bubblegum shouted slamming the bathroom's door on Marceline's face.

"Darn it, Bonnibel!"

/

Meanwhile in the guy's room things seemed to be more pacific and relaxed. Billy sat on one of the lower bunk beds to meditate as he did every night while on the bed above him, the Ice King was drawing some doodles on a paper that Gunter found under the table after they leaved the dinning room. One the other side of their narrow room, Finn lied on the upper bed probably already drifting among his dreams while a very anxious Jake waited beneath him wanting to use the shower.

"Man, why are girls so slow when it comes to this kind of things?" the dog muttered staring at the door.

"Cause girls are women…" the Ice King replied coloring his drawing "Look Jake, I drew Fionna and Cake eating a…ugh…cake!"

"Wonderful…" the dog whispered with face his buried on a pillow not even caring to look at the paper.

"Now I'm going to draw the awesome me sharing a pie with Princess Bubblegum!" he flipped the paper and hissed angrily when he noticed that it wasn't blank. A message that he had already seen was written on it "Blah, bleh, blah…we are going to assassinate you…." He crushed his drawing "I wonder who's the freak that's scattering this these papers around. Gunter eat this!"

The penguin opened his beak, caught the paper ball and swallowed it "Wenk!"

"Hehe! Well done!" the crazy king laughed sliding inside his blankets "C'mon Gunter, time to go to bed! Sleep!...sleep!" Gunter waddled towards his master's side and curled up next to him falling asleep instantly "So…cute…" Ice King whispered before falling deeply asleep as well.

"I knew we should have asked for the bathroom first…" Jake complained turning off the lights "Hey bro, aren't you going to take a shower too?"

"Ugh…too late…too tired…" Finn answered in his sleep "and bathing…sucks."

"What sucks is your smell man! You'll disgust everyone around you…even Flame Princess…" the dog said the last phrase with a sneering tone.

"Wha?! Sheez dude I stink! Quick, give me a soap or something!" the boy replied awakening instantaneously.

Jake chuckled silently "Hehe…I should remember this trick for later."

/

The next morning the guys leaved their room to meet the girls at the dinning car for breakfast but Finn didn't come with them because it was impossible to wake him up no matter how hard Jake tried. In the end he decided to let him rest all the time he wanted since he knew that humans need lots of sleep to regain their strength. Soon after that they found Susan devouring a stack of waffles, Marceline enjoying herself with strawberry jam and Princess Bubblegum sipping a cup of coffee at the same table where they had eaten last night. The "Ooo review" newspaper was over the table and was being peeked every now and then by the Vampire Queen. It didn't take long for the magic dog to notice that someone besides his brother was missing as well.

"Where's Flame Princess?" Jake asked staring at Princess Bubblegum.

"Sleeping like a log…" Marceline replied after lifting the newspaper in front of her face "Hmm…does anybody know where the comic strips are?"

"Today's not Saturday you know? And besid-…wait. Is that why you wanted the newspaper so badly?! Marceline I told you that I needed to check something important! G-give me that!" the princess shouted trying to snatch the newspaper from the vampire.

"No! Why should I do that? I paid for it so I get to read it first!"

"What? That's not even your money! It's Flame Princess's!" Bubblegum rebutted.

Marceline stuck out her tongue playfully "Yeah but she's my friend, I'm sure that she wants me to read it first!"

And their quarrel lasted throughout the whole breakfast hour…

Finn woke up with a loud yawn and rolled out of bed forgetting dangerously that he wasn't in the Tree Fort and that his bed was in the upper level of a bunk. He obviously crashed against the floor and bit his tongue in the process "Crap! Crap crap!" the boy yelled running back and forth along the narrow bedroom "What a way to start the day…" he moaned.

The human stepped in the corridor and stared at the bathroom's door thoughtfully deciding whether to get a shower or not. With an explicit look of disgust, Finn finally decided to grab a towel and entered into the bathroom.

Once he had ended with the wet torture, the boy made his way towards the dinning car in the hopes of finding something to eat. For his surprise, all the tables were already empty when he arrived.

"What? But I'm hungry!" Flame Princess's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"I'm truly sorry miss but breakfast service it's over at 10:00 am…" Foamer replied still wearing his waiter suit.

"Sup Flame P!" Finn greeted walking inside "what's wrong?"

"This guy won't let me have breakfast…" she answered arms crossed and with a frown on her brow.

"But Foamer…I didn't have a chance to eat either!" the boy complained.

"I already told you I'm sorry." The multitask man said, "Look, the chef is my uncle and he has a terrible humor. I'm supposed to be working on lunch and you're getting me into trouble so please leave the kitchen and go play or something!"

"When will be the lunch ready?" The fiery girl asked eagerly.

"Lunch will be served in three hours, more or less."

"Three hours?!" the two teenagers shouted at the same time.

"Dude, that's not fair!" Finn yelled crossing his arms as well.

"Well, that's what happens when you oversleep kids! You know what they say "Early to bed, early to rise, makes the man healthy, wealthy and-…"

"_Foamer! __Affrettatevi! Andiamo!" _ A distant voice yelled behind the tall humanoid.

"Oh, you see?" Foamer moaned turning the young princess and the boy around and pushed them out of the kitchen "The kitchen is off-limits, I'm sorry kids…"

/

Finn and Flame Princess sat on the passenger seats facing each other. Blurry trees, hills and small villages were passing by their window at great speed.

"Now what?" the adventurer asked holding his head down on his hands "I'm starving and I don't think I'll make it till lunch…"

"Me neither…" the princess replied in the same position.

A brief moment of silence filled the air while they tried to come up with a solution.

"It's not fair, I mean, we did pay for the ride and the food. They can't-…" Flame P was about to complain again when an idea stroke her brain "We paid for the food!" she said suddenly standing up with a grin plastered on her face "C'mon let's go snatch some from the kitchen!"

"Whoa, whoa, hey!" Finn stood up grabbing her arm "Didn't you hear what Foamer said? The kitchen is off-limits and besides…wouldn't that be stealing?"

"It's not stealing, we paid for it!" Flame P answered still smiling at him "We are just going to retrieve what belongs to us, and what if the kitchen is forbidden? That makes it more exciting! It'll be like a secret mission or something like that!"

Finn faked a worried expression "You're starting to sound like Marceline, you know?" then grinned mischievously "But I can't deny that you have a point, it's time to get into ninja mode!"

"All right!" the princess replied enthusiastically.

/

"_When the moon hits your eye like a big-a pizza pie, that's amore…" _A sturdy man dressed in white and with a chef hat on his head sang while he walked from one cooking station to the other tasting the content of the steaming pots that surrounded him. _"When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine, that's amore…"_

He was so focused on his job that he didn't notice the small service cart rolling slowly behind him. _"Bells'll ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling. And you'll sing "Vita bella!"_

"Glob" a whispering voice chuckled "what's that guy singing?"

"Does that matter?" another one replied "Say, how do we know where we're going if I can't see a thing under this tablecloth?"

Finn and Flame Princess sneaked into the kitchen using a service cart as cover, everything seemed to be going fine for them until now but, who says that they won't be getting in trouble?

Flame P turned to face the boy "Don't worry, I got it!" she raised her head slightly and sniffed the air "I can track the chocolate pudding's scent from here!"

"Wha?" Finn blinked at her in astonishment "You really liked the pudding's flavor, huh?"

"Yeah, sure!" she replied smelling the air again "So you finally took a bath, didn't you?"

"Hey that's-! That's classified!" the boy yelled blushing while Flame Princess laughed at him.

"_Hearts'll play tippi-tippi-tay, tippi-tippi-tay! Like a gay tarantella…!" _The chef continued while the service cart arrived to a small wooden table.

Two different-colored arms rose from beneath the white cloth that covered the service cart and began to search for the pudding cups tapping the table carefully.

"_When the stars make you drool joost-a like pasta fazool, that's amore…!"_

A soft "Yay!" was heard when the small hands reached the dessert's section and pulled their prize inside the cart where the two intruders clinked their pudding cups after wishing each other "Bon appetite!" and sipped the sweet mousse in sign of victory.

"…_Like you've had too much wine, that's amore…"_

The cart continued to roll searching for more candies in a discreetly motion until it bumped against another cart that was doing exactly the same thing.

"Oh, excuse me…" the new cart apologized.

"No prob…" our heroes replied before continuing their way "Hey!?"

"_Bells'll ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling. And you'll sing "Vita bella!"_

"Ugh…okay! You got me! You got me!" the new intruder admitted lifting the cloth that covered his cart to reveal himself.

"Duke of nuts?!" Finn exclaimed in confusion doing the same action "W-what are you doing here?"

"I'm not stealing pudding if that's what you think!" the Duke answered defensively "I'm in a mission to save my wife from being murdered!"

"In the kitchen?" the human boy inquired suspiciously after raising an eyebrow.

"Amm…" the nut-headed man mumbled biting his nails "Okay, I may have gotten a little out of track because of that marvelous chocolate scent but what I just said is true!" he squinted his eyes and stared carefully at the two young faces before him "Hey! Your mouths are covered with pudding too! You can't blame me!"

"Umm…" the young hero blushed feeling guilty "Don't worry it's fine if you paid for it…I think…"

"Psst! Finn…" Flame Princess called pulling his shirt "Do you feel this place a little…I don't know, quiet?" she asked nervously.

"Now that you mention it, yeah I do. I wonder what happened with the singing guy…"

The sound of a knife being sharpened behind them got the three intruders in alert and caused them to turn around to meet the angry cook that was staring at them ominously. "And here I thought that I had gotten rid of all the rats in my kitchen…" he chuckled holding his shiny butcher knife in his right hand.

"Big fat man…" Finn whispered driving his cart backwards slowly.

"With a big sharp knife…" the Duke replied imitating the boy's action.

"How about if we start running now?" Flame P suggested after gulping loudly.

"AGREED!" the other two shouted back trying to roll their carts desperately out of the kitchen.

"That's it VATTENE!" The chef yelled throwing his blade at them "I'll show you what happens when you steal my food! You bunch of malandrini hooligans!"

/

So after being chased by an angry humanoid with a giant knife fifteen times around the kitchen, Finn, Flame Princess and the Duke not only managed to escape and hide in one of the passenger compartments but also managed to delay lunch by messing up the whole place…great job guys… Anyway, the three "hooligans" locked themselves up and stopped to catch their breaths.

"Well…we did it!" the human boy said huffing and puffing.

"We wouldn't have done it…if it wasn't for you, fiery miss…what you did with the oven's fire was pretty rad!" the Duke of nuts replied panting heavily as well "By the way…who are you? I don't remember seeing you before at the Candy Kingdom."

"I'm Flame Princess…nice to…meet you!" the girl answered staring at the floor while holding on to her knees. "So, did you miss breakfast too?"

"Oh no, I didn't! I was just…I told you back there, my wife-…"

"Yeah that's right!" Finn interrupted after remembering something "Dude, your wife totally creeped me out last night! She was all grimy and stuff while talking to Grod knows who about getting someone!"

"Wait a second Finn, I hope that you aren't accusing my wife of something!" the Duke rebutted, "The Duchess of nuts is nothing but a victim, I mean, maybe she was just asking somebody to get the assassin that's chasing her. Tell me what's wrong with that boy! Tell me!" the nut ended with a freaked out face.

"Umm…say, how do you know that there's an assassin going after your wife? Did you see him?" the young hero inquired skeptically.

"No, I didn't. But I found a note behind our Nut castle's door and it said that the Duchess of nuts was going to be assassinated!" the Duke fell on his knees and grabbed Finn's hands "Please, oh please, help me save her! I'm too scared to do this alone and I can't let my wife get killed, we have two little kids remember? They need their mother, Finn! You can let an atrocity like this happen…" he sobbed tearfully "You can't!"

The boy and the princess exchanged a concerned look, and then Finn took the lead "Don't worry Duke, we'll take charge of this. Just…will you give us a minute?"

"Sniff…sure, I'll wait patiently outside…" the nut said stepping out and closing the compartment's door.

"Flame P…" the boy began "Listen, I heard something really weird last night. The Duchess wasn't just talking about getting someone, she said something about revenge and they even mentioned the Lich!"

"I believe you Finn, but what are going to do? That guy's desperate; we can't just hunt his wife down and force her to confess…"

"I know… look," he replied whispering in her ear "We'll go look for Jake, he's awesome cracking mysteries n' stuff and then we'll follow the Duchess around the train. If the "assassin" tries something we'll knock him down and unveil this case!"

Flame Princess smiled "Yeah, sounds like a great plan for me. Let's go!"

/

The new-formed trio walked towards the lounge car hopping to find Jake there and they succeeded on that; the only problem was that the magic dog was kinda busy for the moment. The yellow bulldog was sitting at a game table and was surrounded by a crowd that consisted of kids of various races yelling and whistling eagerly.

"What's going on here?" the Duke asked nervously.

Finn made his way into the crowd and noticed a bunch of snacks and soda cans scattered around the floor and over the game table was a board with cards and holographic figures.

"Card Wars…" the adventurer replied squinting his eyes and then found out whose Jake's opponent was "Oh for the love of Glob, Jake's playing against…Jamaica?!"

"That's right dude, now get out of the way!" the candy kid known as Toughty answered snapping his fingers.

"We can't see what's going on thanks to your humongous butt!" the Blombo kid replied pushing Finn aside.

Flame P pulled the Duke with her into the crowd to catch up with Finn "Hey, what's going on? Who are these kids?" the princess asked once she had reached his side.

"The Pup Gang, a bunch of bad apples…" her boyfriend answered "Glob, if they're playing Card Wars with Jake…nothing good can happen…"

The magic dog squinted his eyes thoughtfully while analyzing the battlefield before him. On his side of the table, his cornfield didn't seem to be doing quite well against his opponent's sea themed deck. His Husker Knights were almost drowned when he tried to invade Jamaica's Ocean Domain, he thought of using his Immortal Maze Walker to reach one of his opponent's pirate ships but he knew that the kid could activate the ship's special ability and force his monster to walk on the plank.

"I'm waiting for your move, grandpa!" Jamaica taunted making the kids around him laugh.

"Grrr…Just wait and see!" Jake replied angrily "I'll discard my Immortal Maze Walker to grab a new card from my deck!" he grinned staring at his card "_Perfect! My Cerebral Bloodstorm can float over his sea and rain over his puny pirates, then I can use my Archer Dan to finish up his remaining warriors and the game will be mine!"_ he thought "All right Jamaica, Get ready to feel the thunder! Cause I'm going to activate my Cerebral Bloodstorm and attack your pirate crew!"

"Not so fast old dog!" the kid suddenly shouted, "I'll floop my Pirate ship to activate his second special ability!" A holographic canon rose from the ship's board "Behold my Ultra Triple canon! With it I can blast any floating monster on the field without attacking!"

"NOOOOO!" the dog yelled in desperation.

"Yes! And since I'm not actually attacking because it's a special ability, your tiny brain will only damage your own troops! Say good-bye to your weak knights!"

"Dang you kiddo!" Jake grunted punching the table.

"But that's not all!" Jamaica continued, "Now that I'm on my attacking phase, I'll turn my card right to activate my ship and destroy your little Archer Dan!"

"No! Not my Archer Dan!" the frustrated bulldog cried hitting his face against the table.

"Okay…let's forget about Jake…." Finn suggested pulling the princess and the Duke back to the corridor "He gets extremely weird when he loses a Card Wars battle, we'll have to continue on our own…I guess…"

/

Meanwhile, Billy the Hero decided to jump out of the train and sit on the roof to enjoy a more peaceful ride. He would have loved to share the passenger seats with his new friends but those two girl's, the vampire and Princess Bubblegum, wouldn't stop arguing between each other for every little single thing that happened. It was obvious that containing those two in the place was a very bad idea. But never mind that, the legendary hero could now forget about all that and enjoy the fresh breeze in his long orange hair while watching the horizon shrink as the train advanced. Unless…

Billy noticed something strange coming towards them at high speed. He stood up squinting his eyes to get a better glance of that thing "Oh no…" he whispered before starting to run along the wagon's roofs to reach the steaming locomotive "I gotta warn the engineer!"

/

Flame Princess leaned to kiss Finn's hurt cheek and then stared at him while he flushed "I don't know if it's true or not but the clown nurses said that this would help heal any injury…"

"Yeah…it does help…" the dazed boy sitting next to her replied forgetting the thousand times in which he yelled at the clowns that kissing would never work to relief a wound's pain.

Just after the trio left Jake in lounge with the Pup Gang, they began to follow the Duchess to "make sure that nothing bad could happen to her" Amazingly the Duke's wife wasn't secretly attacked just once, three times the young hero had to deflect the mysterious assassin's attempts to kill the Duchess without blowing his own cover. The truth was that they didn't wanted to scare the passengers by letting them know that there was a killer on board, so they decided to act secretively as well.

First, Flame P noticed that a rope was being menacingly lowered towards the Duchess neck causing Finn to jump and try to push her aside. The boy succeeded but landed accidentally on the Duchess bosoms leading the poor hero to be painfully slapped on his left cheek. Then the Duke saw a strange hand trying to poison his wife's drink. Finn crawled under the seats to flip the glass on purpose and prevent her from drinking it. Again he succeeded but when he raised his head, Finn bumped into the woman's butt causing him to be slapped on the same cheek. The third murdering attempted didn't even make sense, they were just following a strange shadow and along the corridor and when they turned in the corner the shadow was gone and they ran into the Duchess of nuts who, for unknown reasons, slapped the poor human hardly on his face once more.

"Glob…what are we going to do? That assassin is awesome doing his job…" the Duke commented sadly.

"Don't compliment the enemy!" Finn replied in annoyance "Are you nuts?!"

"Well actually-…"

"No, please…just, don't reply…" the young adventurer sighed covering the Duke's mouth.

/

"Hehe…you lost grandpa!" Jamaica laughed activating his next card "I summon my Captain Sparrow to the field and I'll make him attack your pitiful Field Reaper!"

The holographic pirate jumped over Jake's last creature and stabbed its chest ending with the game.

"Oh yeah! You'll have to give us all your money now!" the three gangsters laughed dancing around the defeated dog.

"Oh that's all right! …I'm just going to… die now…" a very disappointed Jake replied stamping his face on the table.

"No Jake, you can't give up so easily! You promised to help me!" a small nut in the bottom of a peanut shell wearing a red cape cried poking the dog's arm restlessly. "Please, someone kidnapped my mom and my little brother and those kids saw the whole thing! You gotta make them spill the beans!"

"Ha! That old dog lost, that means that we ain't gonna say anything and keep all his money!" the Pup Gang yelled running out of the room.

"Jake!" the Marquis of nuts insisted anxiously.

"Just give me ten more minutes…. I'm on the middle of a nervous breakdown…" the magic dog said with his face still pasted on the table.

/

Princess Bubblegum screamed like she has probably never screamed in her whole candy life attracting the attention every possible passenger on the train towards her room, fortunately including the rest of the gang along with Jake and the Marquis, but the question is…what the plum happened to her? Well you see… Finn, Flame P and the Duke of nuts were still doing their investigation when the adult of the trio caught a strange movement in the corner of his eye. It wasn't his fault really, the poor man just believed that he was on the assassin's heels when he entered the bathroom and glanced **accidentally **the bubblegum's princess half-naked body when she was trying to get rid of the strawberry jam that covered her clothes after another fight with Marceline.

If the Duke of nuts ever had a chance to befriend the princess, he just lost it. Bubblegum attacked him with virtually every object on her reach yelling virtually every kind of insult and curse she knew. The poor man just couldn't say or do anything in his defense and decided to hide behind Finn and Flame Princess' backs while the curious crowd gathered around them.

"How dare you?!" An angry Ice King shouted jumping over the Duke from out of nowhere and started a fuss.

Literally a fuss of gigantic proportions began and everybody started to fight with everybody. The corridor soon became a mortal battlefield where multiple objects, fists and blows flew in every direction but it didn't last for long. The Duchess of nuts stepped in the middle of all the fighting laughing maniacally startling the crowd and making them retreat towards the closest wall.

"We've got you exactly where we wanted to, Finn and Jake…" the scary woman said walking slowly towards the two brothers while they lied on the floor covered with bruises.

"I-I knew that something was wrong with you!" the human boy replied frowning at her angrily.

Jake just gulped nervously; he could swear that the baby in her arms was staring at him. But more than nervous, the dog was confused. If the Marquis of nuts said that his mother was kidnapped then, how come she's standing right in front of them?

"H-honey…" the Duke whispered hugging his first nut son "Wh-what…a-are you doing?"

The Duchess twisted her head 180 degrees and stared at him menacingly "Fool, I'm not who you think I am!" she laughed and ripped off her skin revealing that she was nothing but a very well-done disguise of the real Duchess and the one wearing it was…

"THE SQUIRREL!" Finn and Jake shouted staring at furious creature with red eyes and foaming mouth with a mixture of fear and astonishment.

"So now you remember me, huh Jake?!" the read squirrel yelled "Well, it's too late for that now cause my partner and I are going to kill you both!"

"P-partner?!" the brothers questioned.

"Yes!" a girlish voice replied jumping out of her second nut son disguise "I've been looking forward for this moment! Today is the day when I'll finally become a First Class Assassin by killing EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN!"

"ME-MOW?!" the two heroes shouted with the same feeling again.

"Okay, this has turned too crazy and weird for my young fourteen-year old mind…" Finn complained and got on his feet ready to take both animals down with his own hands.

"W-wait?" the squirrel inquired uncertainly "Everyone on the train? I thought that we were just going after Finn and Jake!"

"Well, the plan has been changed partner…" the cat replied pulling out a bazooka from within her mouth "Oh, and by the way…everyone on this train includes you. I'm just letting you know so you can start running, crying for your life and stuff…"

Me-Mow then pointed her weapon at the terrified crowd "Okay so, who wants to go first?" her pink eyes were suddenly fixed the magical dog "How about you…Jake?"

"Hehe, oh you see…" Jake began nervously "I kinda-…." A violent movement of the train and a sudden burst of its speed cut-off his words "What the heck is going on here? Seriously, did we board the crazy train to Insaneland or what?!"

"_Umm…_" a voice sounded form the wagon's speakers "_It's me Gunzel, your conductor hehe…apparently there's an underworld monster chasing our train but don't worry, I can make this baby roll extremely fast!_" he paused to clear his throat "_Thanks for your attention and…oh, yeah! Please take cover!_"

"_What kind of warning was that?!_" Billy's voice replied through the speakers as well "_Ahem, Princess Bubblegum I'm going to need your help. Get over here and fast, please!_"

It didn't passed long before the passengers went crazy and ran over the cat assassin like if she wasn't a potential threat and just leaved her alone with her gun. "You've got to be kidding me!" Me-Mow yelled stomping on the floor furiously.

"Okay guys, here's the plan!" the pink princess said gathering her teammates "I'll go to the conductor's cabin and see what I can do."

"I'll go with you, I have a feeling that you'll need me there too!" Flame Princess interrupted.

"Great!" Bubblegum replied, "Meanwhile, Jake, I want you to help the Duke and the Marquis find the rest of his family and also try to keep the passengers safe!"

"Right away Princess!" Jake exclaimed stretching slightly to carry the Duke and his son over his back "Let's go!"

"The rest of you climb outside and find out what the cabbage is that monster!" the princess continued before starting to run down the corridor "Oh! And if you discover how to get rid of it, it'd be wonderful!"

"Whoa, hey!" Marceline shouted, "I can't go out side…the sun, hello?"

"Then help Jake with the passengers!" Princess Bubblegum shouted back, being already out of sight.

/

"Hurry up Foamer! Fire up that boiler man!" Gunzel ordered peeking out of the cabin. That was when he saw it. A giant dragon-like creature with black shiny scales followed the Candy Train baring its silver rows of pointy fangs fiercely. "Can't anybody tell me what's that thing and where did it came from?!"

"I think that maybe our fault!" Princess Bubblegum answered arriving with Flame Princess on her side "Billy did you notice it? The blue gem on your sword?"

"Yeah, it's glowing…why?" the legendary hero replied anxiously.

"The same thing is happening with Flame P's sapphire and my sphere! I think that the cosmic weapon's presence is attracting that thing!"

"Just what we needed!" Billy muttered "Umm…Princess?"

"Yes?" the two girls replied curiously.

"Ugh…Bubblegum, tell me. Is there a way to make this machine move faster?"

"Faster?!" Gunzel yelled startled "We are going at the engine's top speed and I don't think Foamer can shovel the coal faster enough to keep it!"

"That's true!" the tall humanoid said stepping out with his coal-stained overall and shovel "Not to mention…that we're running out of fuel…"

"WHAT?!" Bubblegum, Gunzel and Billy exclaimed in terror while the young princess stared at the boiler's fire thoughtfully.

"What if…I power up the engine for you?" Flame Princess inquired.

"Like…explain yourself, please…" the candy ruler demanded curiously.

"I can enter in the boiler and fire up the engine…I think…" the fiery girl answered doubtfully.

Princess Bubblegum seemed to consider this and tried to process the idea in her brain "Are you sure? Do you think that your body can take it?" she asked grabbing Flame P's shoulder and knelt to stare into her eyes.

"I've never tried it before but…you guys say that fire is what keeps this thing moving and I can create fire faster than Foamer for sure."

"Hey!" Foamer replied a little offended.

"There's no time…" Princess Bubblegum stated, "If you think you can do it then, do it."

Flame Princess nodded with a confident grin and whooshed into the small flaming chamber.

"Just a tiny detail that I forgot to mention!" Foamer shouted peeking inside the boiler "We have to use water to avoid extreme temperatures, will you be alright with that fiery miss?"

"Well I can't complain about that now, can I?!" Flame Princess answered angrily "I'll be fine, just do whatever you have to do!"

And by saying that, the flaring princess let her powers explode and consume all the coal and fuel that surrounded her, heating the locomotive's insides and raising its temperature and speed to totally new levels.

"Incredible!" Gunzel exclaimed staring at the control panel "Can you believe this?! She just broke your record! In just one second!"

"Right, right…I got it…" the taller brother replied rolling his eyes then changed his expression into a more concerned one "Are you ready miss? I'm going to turn the water valve to produce the steam!"

"Just do it fast please!" a flame with a red jewel on its forehead replied anxiously.

"Okay, here goes the water!" Foamer warned turning the valve causing the flame to groan in pain.

"Hey that's enough!" Flame P complained.

"Sorry…" the fireman sighed, "I know! I'll give you the rest of the coal, that should keep you stable, right?"

"Stable?" Flame P chuckled nervously "I would say, alive!"

Even though it hurt her, the plan was working perfectly. Flame Princess' fire was powerful enough to raise the train's speed past its limits and gain a good amount of distance between them and the black beast that was chasing them. The locomotive was unstoppable.

/

On the wagon's roof, Finn, Susan and the Ice King were trying their best to maintain their balance due to the sudden burst of speed while they searched desperately for the new foe.

"I don't know what's Princess Bubblegum doing at the conductor's cabin but whatever it is, it's working mathematically!" the human boy shouted holding his hat tightly just like Susan.

"Then what are we doing up here?!" the Ice King replied "Let's go back inside, that thing will never reach us at this speed!"

"Blue man is right!" Susan commented "Let's-…"

"NO!" A small cat screamed baring her claws to land safely over the candy steel by ripping through it "You're not going anywhere until I kill somebody! I'll become a First Class Assassin today, is that clear!?"

"Me-Mow, can't you forget about that?!" Finn replied in annoyance.

"NEVER!" the cat yelled grabbing her bazooka again "I'll start by blowing you off, human!" she smirked and pulled the trigger.

"Watch out!" Susan shouted tackling Finn out of the way.

During those brief seconds Me-Mow lost her balance and shot a rocket aimlessly. She, Finn, Susan and the Ice King followed the missile with wide-opened eyes while it flew towards the wooden bridge (that the train will be crossing in a few minutes) and crashed against it blowing it away.

"Aw crap…" Me-Mow whispered scratching the back of her head "That wasn't what I had in mind, I mean, blowing a railroad bridge? That's not original at all! But…it will do just fine for me! Haw haw haw!"

"Would you shut it?!" a furious Finn exclaimed kicking her out of the train.

"_Whatever, I'll be back next yeaaaaaaar!"_

"Now what Finn?" the blue wizard inquired, "I don't think that this train will be stopped in time…wait…THIS TRAIN WON'T BE STOPPED IN TIME!" Ice King cried frantically.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Crazy ride, huh? How will these guys make out alive this time? I've got no idea!

Nah, I'm kidding but you'll have to wait to see it :)

See you next time and thanks for the reviews!


	29. Reaching the Grasslands!

Tale 29: Reaching the Grasslands!

Billy ran with all his might jumping from wagon to wagon in order to reach his friends before they tried to do something reckless like casting an ice bridge spell to save the train "At this speed and without the railroad we'll slide off towards our own doom!" he muttered as he got closer and closer to the caboose.

Right after them the dragon-like creature breathed a ball of green fire and destroyed the interior of the caboose where Finn and the rest were standing. He heard them screaming in desperation and smirked with pleasure, it was time to act. The wingless dragon buried his silver claws in the ground and leaped over the train making the three heroes-to-be jump backwards in terror. Right in mid-air blinding their eyes with the sun, the creature's body melted down acquiring a more human form and landed in front of them.

Finn gasped in astonishment recognizing the figure before him, there was no way for him to forget that emotionless silver mask "T-The masked man!" he cried with a combination of anger and fear while Susan and the Ice King stared at the new foe nervously.

"Please human, I've got a name…" the man replied quietly "I'm Barnabas, the most feared prisoner of the Kartarus… the Underworld's dungeon of eternal torment where only the cruelest souls that have ever inhabited the Earth are send. But it seems that its walls were no match for my power…" he laughed.

"You still have Princess Bubblegum's radar, right?" Finn declared unsheathing his crimson blade "Give it back now!"

"As if!" the hooded man chuckled pulling out his own weapon.

Susan, the Ice King and the young adventurer dropped their jaws not being able to believe what their eyes were seeing, the masked man was holding a white bow engraved with emerald vines and with a shining sapphire decorating its center.

"Now I see why Nothung was glowing so insistently!" a voice behind them exclaimed, "He has already gotten one of the cosmic weapons!"

"Humph…so you are Billy the Hero…" Barnabas whispered swinging a white quiver over his shoulder; it was filled with a bundle of bright green arrows. "Well, you're right. Thanks to your radar I was able to find this unique artifact within the Lich's labyrinth…the Bow of Artemis!"

He drew the bow's string holding one of the arrows tightly and aimed towards the legendary hero's chest "It never misses its target and its arrows can kill anything instantly…" the masked man continued "So, human pup… can you tell me where have you hidden that stupid Martian's bottle?"

"Bottle?! I don't know what are you talking about!" Finn replied fiercely.

"I see… it seems that I'll have to kill your hero to make you speak…"

"No, wait!" the boy yelled getting on the way between Billy and Barnabas "Was that what you were looking for when you attacked Magic man? Cause he blamed me for stealing something but I can't really remember what it was, I swear!"

The masked man sighed lowering the bow "There was a bottle in that dirty dump which that Martian used to call home, with a creature inside…a Manticore to be precise…"

And suddenly Finn remembered. After returning from Mars, he punched Magic Man and crashed a bottle to free a weird creature that instead being grateful just insulted them and flew away. "Uh-oh…you'll kill us when I tell you that-…I freed the Manticore and I don't have idea of where he could be, right?"

"Don't worry human…" Barnabas answered raising the white bow again "I was going to kill you anyway…"

/

Princess Bubblegum slid her body out of the engine's cabin and observed the destroyed bridge with a flustered face, of course she had already stopped Flame Princess from powering the locomotive and forced her to take a small break while Foamer and Gunzel looked for a way to reduce the incredible amount of speed that the machine had gained using the brakes. A surprised gasp leaved her mouth when she jumped back in and found that the two brothers were fighting each other while trying to snatch a broken lever (that she was pretty sure a few minutes ago was used to control the brakes) from their coal-stained hands.

The candy ruler could only slap her face and run in to separate them while the fiery princess stared at them trying to understand what was happening, apparently that bar had something to do with the train's speed and those too broke it. Flame Princess stood up still feeling a little dizzy because of her last power outburst and walked towards the control cabin's exit.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Bubblegum questioned after managing to push away the two annoyed brothers from each other.

"I'm going to stop this thing, that's all." Flame Princess answered calmly. Then she pulled out a small cup with some chocolate pudding still remaining inside it and sucked the content to rekindle herself "Phew…! That's better!" she exclaimed and flew outside.

The sapphire hanging from her neck warned her about another cosmic presence, the flaring princess noticed that the beast wasn't chasing them anymore which made her worry even more "_Something weird is going on…_" she thought and doubled her speed to match the train.

The bridge was close, how could she find a way to stop the engine before it was too late? Her amber eyes glimpsed the steel wheels spinning crazily and blowing out sparks as they hit the railroad. That was when she got a brilliant idea. Flame Princess flew down almost touching the ground and fire-blasted the wheels using all the heat she could emit. Soon the steel began to melt and merge with the railway, she smiled and flew to the other side of the train to repeat the process. It was just a matter of time before the wind cooled the melted metals gluing the locomotive to the ground.

With a sudden shriek the engine stopped causing the wagons that came behind to crash against each other. For the confused passengers, everything was just chaos and more chaos. People, tables, luggage, and well, every possible object inside the cars fell from its place broking or hitting someone's head in the process. But for the fiery girl, her job was done with success.

/

The sudden crash interrupted the battle that was occurring over the last train car when the five fighters almost lost their balance. The Ice King took advantage of this to fire an ice beam at the masked man's feet but he just chuckled grabbing an arrow from his quiver and broke the ice with ease. While Barnabas laughed at the wizard's failed attempt, Susan charged at the foe willing to tackle him down not expecting him to turn around just in time to punch her chin and send her against Finn.

Both blondes fell from the car but managed to hold onto the roof's edge to stop their fall while Billy dashed against his enemy ready slash him with his sword. The two cosmic weapons clashed repelling their users in opposite directions. The legendary hero tightened his grip on Nothung knowing that as long as Barnabas had the Bow of Artemis in his power their battle wouldn't end, he also knew that keeping their combat on the train meant risking the passenger's lives. He had to find a way to gain some distance from the train, but how?

A quick arrow flew cutting his cheek "_That was a close one!_" Billy thought wiping out the blood with his fist."_The arrow missed me but only because he's not able to master the weapon's true power…"_

"I know what you're thinking hero, so feel free to speak…" the masked man said drawing the bow "I'll eventually corrupt the weapon's cosmic power and use it freely, that's not a real issue for me."

Billy frowned and raised his trusted blade to deflect the rain of arrows that fell over him as he ran through the roof. He needed to reach the other side and jump to over the other car. Once he had done it he brandished Nothung across the air and cut through the link that kept the caboose attached to the rest of the train. With a strong kick, the legendary hero pushed the wagon away. He smiled to himself, a few minutes before he first glimpsed the underworld creature coming, the train had climbed over a steep hill and now he was going to use it in his favor to keep the battle away from the rest of the passengers.

The Ice King noticed that was Billy's figure was becoming smaller and smaller, he scratched his head in confusion "Is this thing moving again?" he asked.

"Train car is going downhill" Susan replied patting his shoulder "But don't worry, Susan knows how to make it stop…maybe…"

"Don't panic you two!" Finn yelled trying to avoid the arrows "That's what Billy wanted!" he jumped backwards and then sprung forward in attempt to reach his enemy with the Demon Blood sword.

Deep within his mind the young hero knew that he wasn't strong enough to beat Barnabas or at least not this day, all he wanted was to rip off his rope to snatch the comic radar. He couldn't allow him to find the other two weapons and corrupt them with his black magic so he kept trying with all his strength to reach his opponent with the crimson blade's edge.

"I see what you're trying to do pup but-…!" the masked man raised his head for a moment "So there you are…" he glanced back at Finn and bowed elegantly "This is my stop I guess…Let me help you find yours!"

Barnabas leaped into the air morphing his body back into his wingless dragon form and slammed the caboose out of the railway violently pushing the three warriors towards a rocky trail and then vanished from their sight.

"No! Come back here, you coward!" Finn yelled angrily. He had failed to retrieve the radar…once again.

"Ugh…shouldn't you be more worried about the fact that we're standing over a car on the loose and that we might eventually crash and break all of our bones?" the Ice King suggested poking the boy's forearm.

"We're standing on…what?" a clearly oblivious Finn replied lowering his sword.

The Ice King slapped his face and turned the boy around forcing him see the giant boulders that were about to stop their crazy rolling. Once the young adventurer's brain got the message he immediately embraced the wizard and both began to scream followed by Susan who also joined the terrified embrace.

"Tatatata! Mighty dog power to the rescue!" a gigantic golden bulldog cried carrying Billy and Princess Bubblegum on his back.

Jake ran as fast as he could, trying to catch up with the unrestrained car, just like Flame Princess who was flying behind him. "You go to the right and I'll go to the left!" the magic dog ordered.

Flame P nodded and dashed towards the other side of the caboose extending her open hand "Here Finn, take my hand!"

The boy didn't hesitate in obeying and jumped to grab the princess's hand while Susan and the Ice King sprung over Jake's back. A few seconds later, the railroad car crashed against the huge boulders breaking itself into a million pieces of wood and twisted metal.

"Gob…" Finn gulped staring at the destroyed car from Flame Princess's arms "That was close one…!"

"You think so?" a small bat laughed popping out from behind Jake's big ear.

/

Eight exhausted bodies collapsed under a cool shadow provided by the gigantic rocks that stood quietly along the landscape. The Candy Train was not going to be able fulfill its duties anymore but at the least the passengers were saved. Princess Bubblegum left them behind a few moments before jumping onto Jake's back suggesting them to return to Colonel Candy Corn's camp and take refuge in there. A brigade of fire soldiers will surely come to escort them back to safety, keeping that thought in mind, Bubblegum was able to sigh and relax.

"So now we're stuck again or what?" Marceline asked rubbing her damaged bass carefully.

"The lady with the crystal ball…she gave us some clues to find the creep who stole the radar and she must have been right cause we just bumped into him…" the Ice King suggested "She told us about the Candy Train and then she said something about a tree…"

"Actually, she said something about "lots of grass" and then mentioned that the masked man was after something that's hidden under a tree." Princess Bubblegum replied thoughtfully "Lots of grass…could she be talking about the Grasslands?"

"The Grasslands?!" Finn and Jake yelled raising their bodies.

"Dude, could we be really going back to home?" Finn questioned shaking the dog by his shoulders.

"Give me a sec, geez!" Jake raised his head and began to sniff the air "Yeah bro, I can smell your dirty socks from here! The Tree Fort must be…umm…at least one day away by feet."

"All right people, you heard the mutt!" Marceline said transforming into a bat "Get up guys, let's get moving! Towards the Grasslands!"

"That's easy for you to say…" the pink princess sighed standing up tiredly "You'll probably travel in Finn's hat while we walk…"

"Well, I can carry you in my arms if you want to!" the Ice King sang running towards her with his arms open.

"No thanks!" the princess replied pushing him away.

/

And so, another long march began. The sun shined above their heads drowning them with their own sweat but after a couple of hours, the morning became afternoon and a soft breeze began to refresh their bodies. Soon the rocky trail that the gang was following turned greener and more humid. Exotic plants of several sizes appeared around them, as they got deeper into a new and strange forest.

Although Finn couldn't believe it, Jake assured that the Grasslands were close, maybe located across the jungle that was spreading in front of them. The humidity of the environment got them even more sweaty and annoyed, a bunch of mosquitoes suddenly appeared from nowhere worsening the conditions of their journey and their mood. Certainly, things didn't look good for the heroes-to-be and the small penguin but it couldn't get any worse, or could it?

The vegetation grew denser and tangled forcing Finn and Billy to unsheathe their swords to clear the path slashing oversized leafs, vines and roots of all kinds. The area became darker as the giant trees blocked the few sunrays that remained lightening the afternoon, and a flock of multicolored birds cried over them as they searched for a perch to pass the night. Susan didn't like this at all.

Being a hyooman, she knew very well how dangerous and menacing the outside world was after nightfall. Her ears could identify a variety of growls coming out of the bushes, which announced the presence of large carnivores probably watching them with hungry eyes.

"Ugh…we should stop and light a fire…" Susan suggested stopping her pace "This hour is dangerous."

"Susan it's okay!" Princess Bubblegum replied, "We can handle almost any thread and besides we've got to hurry."

"Yeah Sue! Nothing bad is going to-…!" Finn was about to continue speaking when a shadow ran behind them rustling the bushes and leaves. "Who's there?!"

Their eyes caught more movements within the jungle; they appeared to be humanoids jumping swiftly around them. At least a dozen pair of eyes glowed in the dark circling the gang while they drew their weapons and adopted offensive stances.

"Okay, that's enough!" Flame Princess shouted summoning fireballs on her fists to light the area "Show yourselves!"

The creatures moaned covering their eyes from the sudden source of light stepping backwards.

"Don't attack my people!" a voice pleaded above them.

A girl with turquoise skin and dark purple hair slid down using a vine and landed pointing her spear at them with determination. When they could see her better, they noticed that her arms and legs were adorned with golden bracelets. Her cheeks and part of her body were painted with tribal symbols and she was barely dressed pointing out the fact that she was only wearing a brown bikini probably made with some animal's pelt. A skull rested on her head and a golden tiara shined on its top.

"You are invading! You must leave, now!" the girl ordered swinging her spear back and forth.

"W-wait!" Princess Bubblegum shouted "Can't you recognize me? I'm Princess Bubblegum, from the Candy Kingdom. We've seen each other at the Grand Meeting of Ooo's Royalty, remember? Jungle Princess?

The wild girl seemed recognize Bubblegum and lowered her spear "Why are you in Jungle Kingdom? We don't like strangers!"

"We didn't know that this was the Jungle Kingdom, you see, we are only trying to reach the Grasslands…" the candy ruler explained politely.

"Grasslands? Those lands still too far away from here. You can't walk through jungle at night. Very dangerous!"

"Yeah, that's what it seems!" Bubblegum chuckled "Will you let me and my friends camp here? We'll leave in the morning, I promise-…"

"Camp? No. You come with us to village! We give you food and protection!"

While the Jungle Princess spoke, more girls with emerald or turquoise skin appeared from the shadows and stared at the strangers with curiosity and fear.

"With a princess? To a village full of babes? Of course, we're coming with you!" the Ice King replied eagerly but when he tried to make another step the wild women raised their spears and drove him backwards.

"Hey what's the matter?!" Finn yelled, "You just told us to come with you!"

"Not you!" Jungle Princess replied with a frown "Men are not allowed in village! Men are cursed, not good! Bad juju!"

"Juju? What's juju?" Jake inquired scratching his head.

"It's a harmful magical power attributed to someone or something" Princess Bubblegum explained "Weird, I never thought that Jungle Princess's tribe was an amazon race…"

"Amazon? I think I've heard that before!" Marceline exclaimed finally returning to her humanoid form. "What's that?"

"The amazons are group of "all-female warriors", they have rejected men from their society and are willing to attack them if they try to invade their lands."

"What? That doesn't make sense! Why would they reject men?" Jake asked in shock and smelled his armpit "We're not that stinky…."

"It's not because of that!" Bubblegum replied amused by Jake's ignorance "Like Jungle Princess just said, they believe that men will bring nothing but disgrace to their land if they were to trespass it."

"Then I guess that their help's not going to be useful for us after all…" Billy sighed, "Why don't you and the rest of the girls leave with the wild ladies? I'm sure that these gentlemen won't mind to camp outside with the cold and the depredators that lurk in the dark, right guys?"

The males of the group didn't look convinced at all but accepted anyway; after all they were supposed to be the strong gender and do whatever they could for the ladies' sake even if that meant risking their lives.

"Oh, that's so nice of you!" Marceline laughed patting Billy's back obviously trying to tease him.

"Right, whatever…just leave please…" the legendary hero replied bothered.

"See you on the other side!" Flame Princess said waving at them and then turned around to follow the vampire.

"Yeah…see you…" Finn sighed staring at her worriedly.

/

The wild women sat around a great fire at the center of the village, which was nothing more than a few bamboo huts built close to each other to form a circle-like shape. As she walked behind them, Princess Bubblegum noticed girls of her age playing happily with smaller ones, probably four or three year olds. The older ones were taking care of their babies and some others were focused on sharpening their spears and listening to their matriarch's songs, which were in a language that she couldn't understand.

The matriarch was the oldest woman in the whole tribe and as Bubblegum knew thanks to her investigations in ancient civilizations, the head of the family. Meaning that even Jungle Princess had to obey her orders and requests. The old woman's skin was also turquoise; her white hair was tied in a long braid and a bone pierced her nose. She was very skinny, almost skeletal leading Bubblegum to think that she was probably very sick, maybe in her last days…

Jungle Princess stepped in front of the matriarch with the four foreigners behind her. "I bring friends, they spend the night in village then leave to Grasslands!"

The old woman squinted her sight studying the four strange girls who were standing before her. She placed her gaze on Princess Bubblegum's face and then on Susan's "Yes. They seem to be friendly…" she replied with her husky voice "Go sit with my daughters…"

Bubblegum and Susan exchanged a puzzled look and decided to obey the matriarch's request. Then the old woman focused on Marceline.

"Are you still evil?"

"It depends on the circumstances…" the Vampire Queen smirked crossing her arms.

The matriarch nodded thoughtfully and then stared at Flame Princess for a longer time than she did with the other girls. Flame P got uneasy by her heavy stare and tilted her head in confusion.

"What is it?" the fire elemental inquired.

"You come with me…" the matriarch grunted leaving her seat.

"Did you stick your tongue at her or something?" Marceline asked worriedly.

"I'm sure that I didn't do such thing!"

"Hey! Mother called you, follow me." The Jungle Princess instructed "And you…" she said looking back at the vampire "join your friends"

"_Join your friends…"_ The Vampire Queen repeated mocking her when she leaved with Flame Princess "Who does she think she is? I'm the queen here, I don't need to follow anyone's orders!" And with that Marceline sneaked out transforming herself into a bat and flew after her fiery friend.

Flame Princess entered in one of the huts observing every object inside it with curiosity, the floor was decorated animal pelts and the walls with their skulls, bones and feathers. The matriarch sat on the center and lighted a small fire, Jungle Princess just stood behind her with her arms crossed.

"Sit" the old woman ordered.

Flame P obeyed nervously and faced the woman shyly "So…" she began.

"Shhh…" Jungle Princess whispered frowning at her.

Flame Princess shut her mouth leaning backwards somewhat bothered by all the mystery and expectation that surrounded her while Marceline, who was perched on the ceiling, tried not to laugh.

The matriarch grabbed some colored powders, leafs and small bones, chanted something impossible to understand and tossed everything into the fire. "You spit on it…" she ordered.

The fire elemental looked down at the fire with uncertainty "You want me to-…?"

"Spit on it!" the old woman shouted losing her patience.

"Okay, okay! Glob…" Flame Princess sucked some of her magma-like saliva gathering it in her throat and spat the fire with perfect aim _"Finn would be so proud!" _she chuckled in her mind remembering when he was teaching her how to spit instead of following Lemongrab's orders when they worked on his restaurant _"But Princess Bubblegum would surely smack me…"_

"Focus!" Jungle Princess yelled calling the flaring girl's attention.

The flame grew almost reaching the ceiling and making the bat gasp in shock and then lowered its intensity before changing into a bluish-colored fire.

"Hmm…" the old woman moaned staring at the dancing flames "That's all…you leave now…she whispered.

Flame Princess blinked in astonishment "Excuse me?"

"Go now, join your friends!" Jungle Princess replied angrily.

Flame P leaved the hut muttering how weird and annoying jungle women were while Marceline remained in the ceiling, the old woman was hiding something and she knew it.

"This one won't last for long…" the matriarch sighed while Jungle Princess sat by her side.

"But…why?"

"It has always been like this…too much power…too much danger" the matriarch answered stroking her chin "And the girl doesn't even know…"

"How sad…" Jungle Princess replied lowering her head.

Then the two women remained in silence until Marceline decided to fly out and morph back into humanoid. She couldn't really understand what they meant but was able to notice sorrow in their voices and that bothered her gravely "Bonnibel's hiding something about Flame P, something's just wrong with her…and I gotta find out what it is now!"

/

Something that probably used to be a boar was now being roasted in the fire while the wild women continued with their daily nighttime activities or simply waited for their turn to snatch a good piece of meat.

"Whoa…! Look at her!" Flame Princess laughed watching how Susan devoured a big chunk of meat.

"Like a bazillion times better than train's food!" the hyooman exclaimed with her mouth still full.

"Well, at least someone is enjoying it…" Princess Bubblegum replied a little disgusted.

Just then Marceline walked by and stopped to glare at the sugary princess.

"Huh? What's wrong Marceline?" Bubblegum questioned.

"We need to talk…now!" the vampire answered harshly and dragged the princess into an empty hut.

"Hey be careful!" Bubblegum complained rubbing her forearm "What's your problem?!"

"How grave is it?"

"What?" the princess replied disconcerted.

"What Flame P has!" Marceline snorted losing her patience "How grave is it?"

Princess Bubblegum's face changed into one of shock and then lowered her gaze bitterly "Her father asked me not tell anyone about it…"

"Something bad is happening to her, right? Something that will kill her and she even doesn't know about it!" Marceline shouted in frustration "What is it? And how can we revert it?" she demanded.

Bonnibel sighed with grief "It's her elemental matrix…" she began "She's physically unstable…her matrix is weak and there's too much power building up inside her, it's something that has affected the females in the Fire Kingdom's royal bloodline for years. The Flame King told me that he lost his wife because of this-…curse or whatever it is! And now he'll lose his only daughter…"

Marceline slid down onto the floor not being able to believe what Princess Bubblegum just said, "So she's really…going to die…?"

Bubblegum sat next to her and nodded softly "It's just a matter of time before her matrix cracks and releases all her contained energy…she'll literary explode killing herself and whatever is near her at that very moment. The crystal lantern where her father had her trapped almost her whole life had the ability to retain that energy in case something went wrong and he hid it from the world saying that his daughter was "evil" as an excuse to keep her locked up…"

"But…why did he let her go?"

"Because of Finn…" the Princess answered wiping out a tear from her eye "The Flame King said that he couldn't stand watching her whiter more and more with every passing year, he wanted her to be happy, at least for a while…"

"And he's been keeping that terrible secret for himself all these years?" Marceline asked in concern.

Bubblegum nodded avoiding eye contact.

"Damn…no wonder he was always so pissed off…" the vampire felt a lump in her throat "But he chose to tell you about it…the question is, why you? Of all the people-…"

"I don't know Marceline! I don't know…"

"I'm just saying that he must have a reason, think about! You're the biggest nerd in Ooo! Maybe he was hoping that you could find a solution!"

"Or maybe…he wants me to find a solution!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed jumping up "Yeah, I was too nerd-…I mean, too smart to see it!"

"I'd said too stupid…"

"Marceline that's enough, this is serious! You have to swear as a Royal Promise that you'll never let anyone know about what we have talked here, especially not Flame Princess, is that clear?"

"Yeah, yeah, royal promise…whatever. I understand" the vampire answered peeking outside to watch Flame Princess playing with Susan and the other wild girls "Just promise me that you'll really try to save her, Flame P is…still so young…"

"Don't worry, she still has about a year or so…I know I can make it in time…"

"You'd better…"

/

Billy decided that the best area to set their small camp was near a stream that flowed vigorously not very far from the path that the girls used to reach Jungle Princess's village. They lit a small fire with a pair of rocks that they found near the river's shore and then the legendary hero proceeded to show his teammates how to catch their dinner.

Billy stepped in the stream with his pants folded to his knees and stared quietly at the running water while Jake, Gunter and the Ice King observed him carefully. The green man waited for at least twenty minutes before sighting his prey and stroking the water with his hand at lightning speed. Jake opened his mouth dumbfounded when Billy showed him a large fish struggling to free itself from his hand.

"What if we do it like this?" the Ice King suddenly asked.

When the magic dog and the legendary hero looked back at him they found a row of fishes stabbed in ice stakes still waving their tails in desperation. Staring at the wizard with wide opened eyes, Billy let his fish slip from his grip without even realizing it.

"I'll take that as an "Awesome Ice King! You're the smartest fisher in all of Ooo!"

/

Finn watched the flames consuming the wood and the dried leaves in silence while his mind drifted back to that morning's events. He couldn't believe that the masked man or "Barnabas" as he called himself had gotten one of the cosmic weapons, what were they supposed to do if he actually manages to corrupt the bow's power and uses it against them? Was there a way to purify the cosmic weapons back to their original state? And why did that creep wanted with the tiny Manticore? As far as Finn could remember the only ability the Manticore had was to insult those who tried to help him. Once more, nothing made sense.

But at least he wasn't facing this alone, Finn was happy and grateful to be in company of his dearest friends…and enemies, if he could still consider the Ice King as one, that is. Finn sighed closing his eyelids and shaking his head; Simon had been pretty cool lately, annoying, but cool. When the adventurer opened his eyes again, a big smelly fish was staring at him with a blank expression in its eyes and its mouth full of tiny teeth opened.

"Kiss me hero!" his brother's voice exclaimed faking a girlish voice while pushing the fish against Finn's face.

"Dude!" the young hero moaned falling backwards.

"Hehe! fishy, fishy!" Jake sang waving the dead fish on his brother's face. "C'mon don't get mad at me, I was just trying help you snap out of your "lady thoughts" by presenting you a new gal!"

"That thing is not a gal, man. I wasn't thinking about girls, I was thinking about this dude-…"

"Oh no! Now you're thinking in dudes?! What will Flame P say?!" the dog shrieked obviously trying to annoy his brother again.

"Okay Jake, you gotta stop doing that!" Finn grunted sitting back. "I'm just worried about this whole…mess with the cosmic weapons and that Barnabas dude. I thought that the fire could help me clear my mind; I wish to know why does he want the weapons so badly! Is he planning to take down the Lich by his own?"

"Don't try to answer things that you don't know" Billy suggested arriving to the scene with a bunch of fishes in his arms "That and the fire's heat will only give you a headache, try watching the stars instead. They may not have the answers you're looking for but they'll soothe your mind and help you find them…" The green man sat by his side and began to insert the fishes on sticks to roast them "Leave the flames for these poor guys!"

After a while, the fishes on the sticks were nothing but spines and bones resting near the fire. The four guys and the penguin lied down facing the heavens with their stomachs full and their arms crossed under their heads.

"Sometimes, while I was alone in my castle, I used to peek through my telescope to gaze at the stars…" the Ice King began "I don't know why but I always have the feeling…that I've seen them before and that I used to know their names. Weird, huh?"

"Dude…everything about you is weird…" Jake sighed, "I remember when mom used to draw imaginary lines with her finger, like connecting dots but with the stars…"

"Yeah…I remember" Finn replied, "Peebles showed me something similar once, she called it constipations or something like that…"

"Umm…I think she was talking about _constellations_." Billy corrected smiling at the boy.

"Wouldn't it be great to just stretch your hand and grab one of them?" the magic dog commented "Once a dreamed that I could turn my arm into a lasso to catch a comet's tail so it would drag me across space…"

"That's an interesting thought…" the legendary hero replied, "How would life be if the stars were easy to reach?"

"Do you think the girls are watching them too?" Finn sighed trying to find one of those constellations that Princess Bubblegum showed him when he was twelve.

"I knew that you couldn't stop thinking in your lady friend!" Jake laughed, "I'm sure that they are probably staring at the heaven like us dude, but for now focus on this little "bro time" we're sharing. Sometimes is good to relax and just forget about the feminine side…"

Gunter burped loudly.

"You see? This little guy knows what I'm talking about!"

"Hoho! Yeah, there's nothing like being a bachelor!" another voice replied "Sleeping under the stars, fishing and getting fat, chatting with your bros…!"

Finn and Jake leaped upwards in astonishment when they found out that a grass ogre was lying down with them, a grass ogre known as Donny.

"No, no, no! We don't need any obnoxygen being spread around here!" the dog growled "Go now, leave! Go back to the House people!"

"Don't be stupid, that's what I was trying to do until the ground shook violently and somehow I ended up trapped in this jungle!" Donny yelled getting on his feet as well "C'mon don't be so jerky mean with me, I have feelings okay!? I was so lonely and then I heard you laughing so I thought that-…"

"It's okay…" the young hero interrupted "I know you're just a good guy with complicated issues…"

Jake flinched at the comment and pulled Finn's shirt to speak in his ear "Finn, you do know this guy is a jerk again, right?"

"Yeah but he is harmless, c'mon maybe we can find a way to fix his life. How about finding him obnoxious friends, that way he won't feel lonely anymore!"

"Obnoxious friends? What this guy needs is an obnoxious lady, that'll definitely keep him busy!" Jake rebutted.

Finn smiled at the idea "You're a genius bro!" he exclaimed hugging the golden bulldog and then turned around searching for the grass ogre.

Donny was holding Gunter with a puzzled look on his face "This is the weirdest chicken I've seen! Would it fire eggs if I squeeze it?"

"Wenk!" the penguin squawked freeing himself from the ogre's grasp and slapping his face.

"Argh! You jerk!" Donny growled chasing Gunter around "Come here, I'll give you a lesson!"

"Donny, hey, Donny!" the human boy called.

The grass ogre grunted ignoring the penguin and walked towards Finn and Jake with his back hunched "What?" he growled.

"Jake and I have decided to help you fix your life!" the adventurer announced waving his arms.

"Yeah, right!" Donny complained skeptically "So you can laugh at me again?!"

"Nope! Cause we'll help you find someone that will never laugh at you or your songs!" Jake replied with a smirk "A girlfriend!"

"Whaaat?!" the Ice King screeched angrily "How come you never help me to find a girlfriend?!

"Because, in contrast with you, Donny's personality can be fixed!" the magic dog answered crossing his arms.

"Ugh…a girlfriend?" Donny questioned scratching his head "What's so wonderful about a woman, huh?"

"You see? He's not even interested!" the wizard complained shaking Finn's shoulders "Forget about him and help me!"

"We'll leave this for the morning, okay?" Finn replied ignoring the Ice King "Meanwhile, you can stay with us!"

"Well…if that keeps you from crying…" Donny sneered curling up next to the fire.

/

So the next morning Finn and Jake got started with their plan to turn the obnoxious grass ogre into an obnoxious gentleman, being the first lesson: Personal hygiene.

"Get into the river Donny!" a bruised Finn ordered while Jake tried to drag the ogre with his stretched arms.

"But the water is wet! And cold!"

Billy could only roll his eyes staring at the scene while the Ice King mumbled angrily. Even though he didn't have a watch in his wrist, the legendary hero couldn't stop glazing at it impatiently. Finally he decided to take the lead and started making his way into the jungle.

On the way to the Grasslands Finn and Jake initiated the ogre in his second lesson: Polite manners.

"Now Donny, I'm going to transform into a lady and you're going to act like a gentleman around me, is that clear?" Jake instructed morphing his body to look like an ogre lady. "Hi, handsome!" he greeted with a high-pitched voice.

Donny glared at him doubtfully and then stomped the ground "I don't wanna!" he yelled childishly.

"Dude, please…" Finn replied giving him a strange-looking flower which he got from who knows where. "Offer this to him, I mean, her."

The ogre grabbed the flower; it looked like a closed tulip with tiny purple spots. He glanced at the flower and then at the "lady", then at the flower and back at Jake, and so on until he sighed and got closer to the magic dog.

"Here!" Donny grunted showing Jake the flower "For you!"

"Donny!" the human boy moaned, "You're supposed to be more gentle and kind! Try telling her something nice like; you're the most beautiful girl I've seen or something!"

Donny twitched his eyelids impatiently and roared tossing the flower over Jake's face "You're ugly and I don't like you!"

"For the love of-…!" Finn was about to groan when his brother shouted painfully.

"The flower is biting my nose!" Jake cried trying to pull the plant out.

Billy and the Ice King turned around in alert and ran towards the screaming sounds, when they arrived to Finn and Jake's side, they found a science fiction scene. A giant carnivore plant was trying to crunch Donny with its sharp fangs while the magic dog fought to free himself from a tangled vine that sank in his skin with its thorns.

Meanwhile, Finn tried with all his might to slash the plant's steam with his sword in vain "Billy, I can't kill this thing!" he cried desperately.

The legendary hero didn't need to think it twice before jumping into the action and unsheathed his sword to cut off the plant's "head". Once more everybody gasped in awe at the Nothung's cosmic power, the blade slashed the plant with a clean cut. But just before they could start celebrating, two more monstrous heads sprouted out of the gigantic steam. "Dang…" Billy whispered angrily and sprung to repeat the attack.

Heads kept falling and more kept sprouting while the legendary hero's energy diminished "Can't you do something else!" the Ice King yelled watching the battle "I thought you were stronger!"

"How about if you come here and help me!?" Billy growled.

More vines crawled silently towards their ankles capturing Finn, Billy and the Ice King as well. The plant seemed to smirk as it dragged its preys upside down towards its maw.

"Somebody, please do something!" the wizard screamed covering his eyes.

They were already breathing the sickening stench that came from the plant's opened jaws when a fireball hit it right on its tongue. The carnivore monster shrieked in pain letting go of its preys while more fire was blasted towards its body turning it into a pile of ashes.

Finn and the rest crashed on the ground with a moan, when they opened their eyes, Princess Bubblegum, Susan and Jungle Princess were standing before them.

"You okay?" the hyooman asked helping the boy to stand up.

"I think so…wh-where's Donny?!"

"You're indeed the most beautiful creature I've seen in my life!" Finn heard him say and turned around nervously.

He couldn't believe his eyes; Donny was holding Flame Princess's hands while giving her "the look" and not only that, he was also wearing pants!

"Ugh…what?" the fiery girl replied tilting her head with genuine confusion.

"Hey, dude…" Jake said elbowing his brother "Where did he get those pants?"

"NAARGH!" Finn squealed angrily charging against the grass ogre "What do you think you're doing?!" the boy demanded strangling Donny's neck.

"What the hey, Finn?! I'm just following your teachings!" Donny yelled back punching Finn's chin. "You wanted me to get a woman, didn't you?!"

"Yeah!" the young hero answered fiercely while springing over Donny's back "But she's **my** woman!" he shouted feeling how his whole face flushed with both anger and embarrassment.

"What?! That's not fair!" the ogre growled trying to reach Finn and pull him off "You're always keeping the best things for you! How selfish-…!"

"I'm sorry but I already told you!" the boy replied using a head lock on him "She's my girlfriend!"

The resolve of that fight remained unconcluded; Billy and Jake pulled the two "rivals" away from each other so they could continue their journey to the Grasslands peacefully. In twenty minutes or less, the familiar scent of the fresh breeze that characterized Finn and Jake's homeland was filling their lungs.

"We're back!" Jake shouted in excitement "Finn, we are back home!"

The wide-open spaces of blue skies and evergreen fields welcomed them, it was like a miracle, it seemed that the Lich's dark powers hadn't consumed these lands…yet.

After thanking Jungle Princess, Princess Bubblegum joined her friends while they rolled down the grassy hills towards the Tree Fort. Meanwhile a tearful grass ogre waved good-bye to the fiery girl but she couldn't notice him, Finn had already gotten her attention and pulled her down hill with him.

"My life's a fart…" Donny whispered sobbing anxiously.

"Hey…" Jungle Princess said patting his back "Do not cry, I can be friend if you want to!"

"Re-really?!"

/

**Location: Tree Fort**

**Date: Unknown **

**Hour: 9:30 am.**

_"Blog entry number 37… it's been three weeks since the Cuties invaded the Tree Fort. I'm alone and hungry. The number of hostages has increased since Turtle Princess moved the library here. They've got her, Neptr and…Lorraine…_

_All my rescue attempts have failed, I'm unable to succeed…but I'm not giving up! I'll find a way. I know I can do it. I still have my skateboard with me, that will give me a chance. The Cute King will not prevail!_

**Beemo out.**

* * *

**Author's notes:  
**Dear readers, can I ask you a favor? With the next chapter we'll be at the middle of the story and I'm worried about its quality, so if you could tell me how's the story going so far I'd really appreciate it. Please tell me if the plot is still clear enough and if you're going along with its development. Are the characters still in character? What do you think about the chapter's length? I keep them between 7000 and 10,000 words, should I make them shorter or are you okay with that? Is there something I need to improve? Please be honest so I can fix the story's mistakes and give you the best last 30 chapters I can.

Feel free to complain! Your opinion matters!

You can review or PM me, whatever you like. Thank you very much! :)

Trickster205: I don't know, first we have to see if they actually manage to defeat to defeat the Lich *Suspense*

Oh yeah, I changed the story's cover to make it look like the "Mortal Folly" title card, do you like it?


	30. Traps, blood, sweat and poison!

Tale 30:Traps, blood, sweat and poison!

He didn't know where he was; Finn could hear, see and feel everything around him but he wasn't there. It was like if he was watching the scene through other eyes. Two men were fighting each other fiercely; the rain was falling over their shoulders making the wooden floor where they stood even more slippery. Finn struggled to see who they were, when lightning stroke the sky he noticed that one of them was a human. The young hero would have loved to ask him something; like who was him or where did he live but he couldn't. Finn didn't have voice at the moment.

After being punched by his enemy the human collapsed on his knees and coughed blood on the floor. That was when Finn noticed a deep wound on his back, the boy wanted desperately to find a way to aid him but he wasn't able to move either. The other man walked slowly towards the defenseless human baring his silver claws, the boy closed his eyes and heard the human yell in agony. When he opened them Finn saw the claws piercing through the poor man's chest.

The human boy felt the rage building up inside him, wasn't there a way to stop this? Another painful shriek drove him out of his thoughts, the human had stabbed his enemy with his sword but that didn't seem to cause any effect on the monster. The dark humanoid grasped his attacker by the neck and threw him out violently.

"Drown human! You can now go straight to the very bowels of the Underworld!"

That event helped Finn realize where he was; it was a ship sailing through the ocean towards who knows where. Suddenly he was afraid, he wanted to runaway but he couldn't. The dark man was now walking towards him, Finn tried to scream but again, it was useless.

"It's your turn now!" the humanoid laughed grabbing his neck and held him over the roaring ocean "This is the end of the human race!"

And with those words he let Finn fall into the sea.

/

"NO!" the human boy shouted waking up abruptly.

In front of him was the familiar wooden ceiling of the Tree Fort, and then he remembered, he and the others had arrived to the Grasslands that morning. They had run across the green plains, sometimes stumbling and rolling down hill because of their excitement. Finn remembered the sun and the soft breeze that he had missed so much since they left their home a month ago, he couldn't wait to reach his house, lie down on the couch and see Beemo again.

The next thing he remembered was that when they were about to step in the Tree Fort something weird happened, but his vision of that event was blurry. Everything after that was blank, and now the young hero was just starting to understand what had happened that morning.

Finn tried to move his body but he couldn't, his arms and legs were attached to the floor just like his torso and his head. He tried to roll his eyes down to scan his surroundings; he was in the treasure room, which is actually at the entrance of the tree, his body was tied tightly with a thin string (several empty boxes of dental floss helped him confirm this) and their ends were nailed into the floor with sewing needles. There were tall stacks of books scattered everywhere, Finn and Jake weren't readers at all, so where did those books come from?

"Ugh…hello? Guys?" the boy called waiting eagerly for a response.

"Oh Finn! You're finally awake! Hehe, I was starting to get bored!"

It was the Ice King's annoying voice; apparently he was also tied with dental floss onto the floor and was lying right behind Finn.

"Hey, can you see the others?" the human boy asked struggling to turn his head backwards.

"Well Gunter is attached to my belly and the vampire is sleeping next to me…" the wizard replied, "I think that Jake is on my left."

Little by little every member of the gang reacted and started to complain about the uncomfortable situation they were in. To make things worst, add the fact that their powers and/or special abilities were somehow disabled, so they couldn't free themselves from the dental floss.

"Well, well, well…it looks like the big guys have awakened…" a child-like voice announced.

"Jake…I think I know who that little cutie is…" Finn whispered while staring at the ceiling.

"I told you, these guys are a menace!" the magic dog shouted angrily.

/

"_Blog entry number 39, after being attacked with sleeping powder Finn, Jake and the others became part of the hostages. I heard from the cops that the Cute King is planning to kill them to show the world how powerful he and his army are. Of course they are oblivious to reality, the Cute King has probably forgotten about the Lich. I must save Finn and the others…. oh yeah, it's a beautiful day to die…"_

"Beemo out." the small computer said before pushing the blue button on its "chest"

Beemo hasn't had it easy since Finn and Jake left, he's been alone (well, with Neptr but it's kinda the same as being alone for the green videogame console) trying endure all the disasters that had stroke the land of Ooo. BMO survived the earthquakes hiding inside the fridge and then locked itself in the house to face the zombie invasion. Beemo spent many sleepless nights while listening to the radio to soothe itself until Turtle Princess appeared carrying her giant bags filled with books.

That was when the Cuties attacked. They read the books and learned how to infuse their natural mushroom powder with magic powers such as the sleeping spell, the shrinking spell (don't know how they skipped the growing spell but let's thank Glob for it) and others. The little stunt that they pulled to capture all their hostages was taken from a book with the following title "Gulliver's Travels", which for Beemo was something like the manual for mini tyrants. Grod, there's certainly a huge amount of wisdom stored in books.

In any case it was already too late for the agent B-MO to subtract any knowledge from them. He'll have to use all his super detective experience to save his friends and expel the Cuties. The first step in his plan was to sneak into the living room by rolling into the hollow trunk's entrance. B-MO couldn't use the main ladder in the treasure room because it was heavily guarded but inside the trunk he could use the many other ladders among the piles of gold to reach the living room's canopy.

Once in the living room, the super agent proceeded to hide himself while trying to find Turtle Princess.

"Glob…this room is completely filled with Cuties…" the agent muttered clenching his fist.

"Psst!" a voice behind him whispered, "Over here buddy, we can help ya!"

Agent B-MO followed the whispers into a mouse hole. Inside he was received by four origami figures holding paper swords and shields, and by a strange creature that he had never seen before. It was like a mouse with elf-like ears, long whiskers and big dark blue eyes. Its body was made of pure crystalline water, like the tiny dewdrops seen in the grass after dawn, and it was wearing a red outfit made with flower petals.

"Who are you?" Beemo inquired crossing his arms.

"I'm Pete leader of the Pagelings!" a triangle-shaped paper figure answered solemnly "You can call me PP if you like, and these are my brave warriors!"

The other three paper figures cheered waving their weapons.

The agent B-MO squinted his eyes suspiciously "And who's your friend, PP?" the videogame asked pointing the transparent mouse-like creature.

"His name is Stevie of the Dewpians, he's helping us with our plan to free the Noble Giant and his golden Battle Beast!"

"He means Finn and Jake." Stevie replied.

"And how do you guys know them? Answer with the truth!" Beemo demanded.

"The truth is that Finn and my warriors fought side by side in the Great Final Battle against the Moldo menace and together we brought peace to the literary works using non-violent ways…"

The agent raised an eyebrow "And what's your story, Stevie? If that's your true name…"

"Okay you got me! My mom named me Steve but I don't like it so I've been lying about it my whole life, please don't arrest me official!" the dewpian cried kneeling and kissing Beemo's feet.

"Hey stop it man!" B-MO said walking away from him "You gotta show some nerve! Now tell me, how do you know about Finn and Jake?"

"I live in the magical miniature city of Dewpia, which is located right under this big willow's roots. We are nothing but a peaceful village of dewdrop people; we'll never harm anyone. I swear!"

"Calm down Stevie, I got it…" the videogame replied "Since you live so close to us is obvious that you've gotten to know about Finn and Jake."

"Exactly!" Stevie affirmed happily "We Dewpians know about all their heroic acts and admire them deeply! That's why I came here in the first place, I need their help…"

"Very well, but right now they need our help!"

"We are willing to aid you in battle, those Cuties shall not prevail!" Pete declared raising his sword.

The agent B-MO grinned with determination "Let's roll!"

/

Princess Bubblegum tried her best to not laugh while the Cute King walked over her waving his flower scepter up and down in a sign of victory. He was focused on his soliloquy about how she, Marceline and the other royals weren't qualified to rule because of their lack of tyrannical and murderous ways, the Cute King got recently obsessed with the idea of conquering Ooo without realizing that it was falling apart.

"You know, it's better to be feared than respected!" the small king said jumping over the Vampire Queen's forehead.

"Yeah, I can't believe how scared I'm feeling at this moment! In fact, if you get closer to my face I think I'm gonna soil my pants…"

"You'll soon swallow your sarcasm, vampire!" the cutie shouted tickling Marceline's nose with the flower.

"ACHOO!"

The powerful sneeze scent the tiny king against the closest wall causing his troops to become altered and run to his side in desperation, some of them losing their limbs or exploding along the way.

"I'm sorry cutie; I didn't know that I was allergic to pollen!" Marceline laughed trying to imagine the scene "But seriously, guys…how do you suppose that we'll beat the Lich and all that if we can't even save ourselves from a bunch of tiny babies?"

"Umm…we'll find a way around it, I guess…" Jake replied feeling unsure.

"Do not fear brave warriors! We, the mighty Pagelings, have come to engage ourselves in battle to free you from the dirty claws of these tender creatures!" Pete's voice echoed as he and his warriors descended from the living room with their bodies folded to form parachutes.

The Cute King flinched at the arrival of his new enemies and immediately sent his troops (or what was left of them) to attack the origami figures. I'm not sure if the term "combat of great proportions" is valid to describe the fight that begun after the Pagelings and the Cuties clashed. For those gang members who were able to twist their gazes towards the floor it didn't even look like a battle while for the tiny warriors, it was the brawl of their lives.

Pete raised his sword and waved it forward to encourage his loyal warriors once more. The Cute King's troops were beating them in number, thirty against four, but that wasn't going to stop them.

"Remember this moment, men, the moment when a few dared to stand against many to bring down the tyrannical minds of the Cuties! I hope that you have eaten your breakfasts, Pagelings… For tonight, we dine in hell!"

The paper warriors roared charging against the cuties, the flat and soft edges of their swords slashed with ease the weak limbs of their foes. A single Pageling could handle seven Cuties at the same time; the Cute King couldn't believe it.

"No! It's impossible!" he cried standing back "This is madness!"

"Madness…?!" Pete replied running towards him "This is…ADVENTURE TIME!"

/

Beemo rolled out of the mouse hole and hid behind a wall leaning its back against it to scan the area. Turtle Princess, Neptr and Lorraine were tied up on the couch, it seemed like an easy task for the agent B-MO, however, the Cuties left a guard behind and he was armed with a bag of magic powders.

"I must find a distraction…" the agent whispered analyzing the messy living room.

Thankfully, he managed to spot his skateboard lying not very far from him. B-MO smirked and sneaked through the shadows using his "ninja skills".

The guard sighed tiredly and scratched his nose; he was bored knowing that all the action was taking place on the lower level of the Tree Fort. Suddenly he caught a slight movement in the corner of his eye.

"Halt!" the guard shouted opening his magic powder bag and threw its content over a figure that was trying to pass behind him using a skateboard. "I have used paralyzing powders on you, haha! Now you can't-…!" Something punched him right on the face.

"Sorry my friend but you have been fooled!" Beemo exclaimed holding the guard by the neck and raised his fist menacingly.

"W-who the heck are you?!" the guard spat in awe.

"I'm your worst nightmare…" the agent replied knocking him out.

The videogame console then proceeded to climb over the couch with the intention of freeing the hostages. The Pagelings and Stevie had figured how to break the spell on the dental floss with the help of a magic book that they have retrieved from the Cuties several days ago, so now Beemo knew how to save its friends.

"Quick!" the agent B-MO ordered, "Say cheese! That's the magic word that'll free you!"

"Cheeese!" Turtle Princess and Neptr replied happily.

A blue glow surrounded the dental floss that kept them trapped and with a single move of their arms the strings fell down.

"Oh thank you! Thank you very much Mr. Nightmare!" the princess cheered patting BMO's head.

"_Mr. Nightmare, huh?" _the videogame thought stroking its screen _"Sounds good…!" _

/

Flame Princess chuckled feeling some tiny steps walking over her chest and tried to lean down her chin to see what it was.

"Greetings young lady, I'm Stevie the Dewpian! And I'm here to help y'all!"

"Great!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed lying next to her "Please rip off these strings or something!"

"Hold on ma'am, first I need you all to say…Cheese!"

"It's not like I'm trying to sound rude or something…" Marceline hissed "But this ain't time for taking pictures!"

"No, no! It's a magic word; it'll deactivate the curse on the dental floss that's immobilizing you!"

"Well, why didn't you say that sooner?" the vampire laughed.

The Pagelings pushed an empty strawberry jam jar towards the treasure room and imprisoned the defeated Cuties inside it. Then Finn grabbed it and took it upstairs to place it over the living room's table. There they found the Turtle Princess, Neptr and Beemo of course. After greeting each other and introducing their new friends (this included the part where the Ice King saw Neptr and cried pitifully over an annoyed Jake and the part were Neptr spotted Flame Princess shouting "There's the fire lady that my creator won't let me kill!"), the gang sat around the table and glared at the jelly jar.

"Cute King!" Finn began "I thought that we talked about this, you can't-…" he froze while staring at the crystal container "W-where's the Cute King?!"

"Over here Finn!" the cutie yelled pulling out a powder bag "I'll put you to sleep!"

The Cute King blew the magic powder on the human's face hoping that he'll fall asleep but something weird happened…

Finn cleaned his eyes and blinked in confusion "Well, what happened?" he wondered while staring at the cutie that suddenly had the same height as him, more or less.

Everyone in the room gasped staring at the mini Finn that was now standing over the table.

"B-buddy?" Jake said tapping the boy's shoulder with his fingertip "You're like a bug now!"

"I'm like a…?" Finn turned around and frowned at the Cute King "What have you done to me?!"

The cutie shrugged "This wasn't supposed to happen, I thought that this was sleeping powder not shrinking powder!" the small king kicked the strawberry jar angrily "You bunch of incompetent fools, why can't you follow my instructions?!"

The Cuties began to sob and within a few seconds they were crying bitterly just like their king. Marceline sighed shaking her head and grabbed the Cute King with her fingers to drop him inside the jar.

"You'd better know how to fix this!" she growled while poking the glass.

"No, wait. This is good!" the Dewdrop creature exclaimed running towards Finn "With that size you'll be able to help me!"

Beemo sat on the table and looked down at the tiny Finn "Stevie says that a monster attacked Dewpia and is now hiding inside their sacred shrine."

"Yeah, and not only that!" Stevie continued, "My brother Dewey followed the monster inside and he hasn't returned, but I'm too scared to enter that place on my own!"

"Where's Dewpia, how can I get there?" the human boy asked eagerly.

"It is a tiny city hidden beneath this old tree's roots…"

"Beneath the-…" Finn reflected "Guys, did you hear that?! It's just like Madame Leotte said, the masked man must have something to do with that monster! He's looking for something in that shrine!"

Princess Bubblegum smiled "We'll need more of that shrinking powder then!"

/

Turtle Princess read the spell book carefully; she had found the recipe for the shrinking powders and the growing powders as well. The first one was easy to prepare, everything they needed could be found inside Finn and Jake's kitchen and with Princess Bubblegum's help, they "cooked" a good amount of them in no time. Sadly, the ingredients for the growing powders were a bunch of weird stuff such as; baby bat claws, toad saliva and the tip of a yellow colored grass snake's fang.

"Okay guys, here's the plan!" Bubblegum announced stepping out of the kitchen "Finn, Jake, Flame P, Marceline and Susan will go to Dewpia with Stevie. Ice King, since you are a wizard, I want you to stay here and help Turtle Princess to prepare the rest of the formula while Beemo, Neptr and I go into the Grasslands to find the ingredients that we're missing." She paused for a second "Questions?"

The Ice King raised his arm "What about the green guy?"

"Oh right! Billy will make sure that you don't try anything weird with Turtle Princess while we're gone. Sorry but I can't still trust that you have overcame your obsession with princesses yet.

The Ice King sighed lowering his head.

"Now, is everyone ready to go?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"Just a second Peebles!" the tiny Finn shouted as loud as he could so she could hear him "I need to give you something!"

The boy asked Jake to stretch him into their weapon room and after a moment the magic dog returned holding a pink blade.

"This is my Root sword, Jake gave it to me for my birthday last year. I know that you'll only be walking across the Grasslands but we both know that the masked man is somewhere near, that's why I want you to have something to defend yourself, just in case you need to."

"Oh Finn, thanks!" Bubblegum replied holding the sword against the window causing its blade to glimmer "It's beautiful, I promise to take good care of it!"

"Better take good care of yourself." Jake smiled giving her a leather belt "Attach it tightly to your waist; you don't want to lose it, right?"

Princess Bubblegum nodded in agreement.

"And Marcy, you should wear this!" the magic dog chuckled handling her an ugly and pretty old farmer-like hat made of straw.

"So, let me see if I can get this straight!" the pale girl replied in disbelief "Bonnibel gets a sword and I get this?!"

"Well, both items are meant to keep us alive so stop complaining!"

/

Stevie guided the group that was going to accompany him into Dewpia towards its closest entrance, once they had found it; Marceline grabbed the shrinking powder and sprinkled her mates with it before using it on herself. In a matter of seconds everybody was as tall as a pinkie.

Finn stared at Jake and began to laugh without an explanation.

"What's the matter dude, do I have something on my teeth?" the dog replied in confusion.

"You know that you could have just shrunk using your magic powers, right?"

"Hehe…the kid thinks he's funny, huh?" Jake laughed "You know that, if Princess Bubblegum fails in finding the growing powder ingredients, I'll just have to stretch to regain my normal size while you'll remain like that forevah and evah?!"

The human boy widened his eyes in realization and gulped nervously, Stevie noticed this and walked to his side.

"Don't worry, if that happens you can always come and live with us at Dewpia. It's a nice place, really!" the watery creature smiled and pushed him into a tiny hole covered by the twirled brown roots of the willow tree.

The group descended leaving the sunlight behind and entered into an unexplored underground world; as they advanced the soil under their feet became cold and wet, various kinds of lichens covered the vines and the thick roots that conformed the shelter-like structure that surrounded them. After a few minutes of walking they reached the city; a great number of bioluminescent mushrooms glowed dimly in the darkness, Stevie explained that the starry landscape was actually the dewpian's buildings and houses. A few rays of sunlight entered through small openings between the roots and lighted the highest mushroom towers, sometimes letting a tiny flower sprout on their top.

"Well, welcome to Dewpia!"

"You know? This place kinda reminds me of home… it's dark and humid…any vampire would be happy living here…" Marceline said "Maybe that's why I chose this old willow tree when I was dating Ash…hmmm…Talking about my tree, you two weenies should start paying me the rent!"

Finn and Jake turned around to face her "But you gave it to us as a gift!" the two of them complained.

"I did? Man, I thought that I was joking with you guys…"

/

Princess Bubblegum stepped outside equipped with her pink purse hanging across her chest and with her new sword attached tightly on her hip. Beemo and Neptr took her to the cave on the back side of the Tree Fort, for Finn and Jake it was like a garage where they stored all kinds of junk and tools. Since the pie-throwing robot lived there for fifteen months, four days and nine hours exactly, he learned that all kinds of mold, spiders, snakes and bats inhabited the area.

Bubblegum began her search pushing boxes carefully, she didn't want to run into any kind of vermin although that was exactly what she had to do. Meanwhile the two robots jumped into the piles of junk and started to throw every object they found into the air. After two hours of unsuccessful search, the girl of the group sat down resting her back on a wall.

"It's useless, maybe we are scaring them away with all this fus-…" something stinky and sticky fell on her shoulder.

Loathing the idea of touching it but doing anyway, Princess Bubblegum was able to identify the repulsive substance as…guano… She cleaned her finger on Neptr and pointed the ceiling.

"Well, there are the bats. Now we just have to catch a baby and cut one of its claws!"

"Great!" Neptr said after grabbing a long P.V.C pipe "I'm going to poke them with this to call them down!"

Beemo gasped displaying a worried expression on its screen "Don't you dare to do that!"

Despite BMO's warning the robot swung the pipe to reach the ceiling causing all the bats to leave their perch screeching and bumping into the trio chaotically.

"Hit the dirt!" the green video game console shouted letting itself fall over its face to avoid the crazy flight of the bats. Bubblegum and Neptr did the same.

When peace returned to the cave, the princess, Beemo and Neptr were covered with guano and fur but save and sound. Then BMO walked towards the other robot and poke its can angrily with the pipe.

"If I tell you not to do something, then you mustn't do it!"

"Geez BMO, you don't have to get so mad at me…I was just trying to-…" a scary growl cut Neptr's words off.

"I think…" Princess Bubblegum whispered pushing the two robots behind her legs, the Root sword in her hand ready to attack "that we are not alone here…"

/

Down the starry and desolated streets of Dewpia the other team was marching at regular pace while following Stevie towards the shrine. Finn was staring at the tiny mushroom houses and locals with curiosity; they were now crossing what seemed to be a street market and he couldn't help to notice many kinds of weird items for sale such as "Skydiving leafs", boomerangs and lanterns but what attracted his attention the most was a sign with the following message "Live the ultimate digging experience! Try our famous Mole mitts!"

"Woah…! I need a pair of those!" the human boy whispered pocking Jake's ribs with his elbow.

"Yeah, I could use a pair too!" the dog exclaimed "I love to dig! Dig in a good stack of bacon pancakes!"

"We should be digging for an explanation of why this place is so empty, you know?" Flame Princess replied.

"Oh that's easy! Dewpians are hiding inside their houses, we're all very afraid of the monster…" Stevie answered looking back at her briefly "But not my brother, he's the bravest among the bravest!"

When a big arch of carved rock was at sight the dewpian turned around with a big shy smile "Okay so, that's the entrance to the shrine! I wish y'all good luck!" and with that Stevie tried to run out of the scene.

Thankfully Susan managed to grab his shirt while he ran in one place "You come with us." The hyooman suggested.

"Are you nuts?! That place is full of hidden traps, poisonous spiders and The Monster is waiting for us there!"

"Your brother is also waiting to be rescued, so move." The Vampire Queen ordered sharply while the rest of the gang stepped inside the stone temple.

Inside they found the figures of various Dewpians carved in stone, perhaps resembling ancient deities that were meant to guard some kind of mystical power within the shrine. Stevie explained that no one was allowed to go beyond the main entrance because of the dangers that awaited inside the stonewalls, there were two sealed doors at each side of the chamber proving that what he said was true but one of them was destroyed, presumably by the monster.

"Why would a monster attack an old and dirty place like this, huh?" Jake questioned.

"Maybe because of the forbidden treasure but, it is forbidden!" the dewpian yelled.

"You just said the three words I needed to hear!" Finn replied cracking his knuckles "Traps, forbidden and treasure!"

"It sounds like the formula for adventure…" Marceline smirked sharing a conspiratorial wink with the boy.

"You do know what the meaning of forbidden is, right?" Stevie asked nervously as the gang walked through the destroyed door "Guys?"

/

Princess Bubblegum slashed the air randomly with the pink blade while Beemo and Neptr ran around trying to dodge Bubblegum's failed strikes.

"This is just a suggestion," Neptr began "but you should try to keep your eyes open when you're using a sword!"

"He's right Princess, focus and don't be afraid of hurting them! Remember, they are not your subjects anymore!" Beemo urged.

The pink-haired girl took a deep breath and opened her eyelids slowly. She was surrounded by seven candy zombies at least, probably stragglers of the last hordes that invaded the Grasslands.

"Okay," she whispered tightening her grip on the Root sword's handle "just remember what Marceline said about fighting zombies; don't let them bite you and aim for the head, neck and spine…"

Bubblegum pushed down the ground with her feet and lunged towards her foes "Here I go!"

"Go pink lady! Go!" Neptr cheered spinning in the middle of the battlefield "Go pink lady! Go!"

Princess Bubblegum kicked a banana zombie in the gut and slashed off his head when he bent over in apparent pain, some rotten sugar and candies fell onto the floor giving her nausea. Two more jumped over her from behind but she managed to duck them in time making them crash against each other.

"Princess!" BMO called "Go outside and chase the bats, we'll take care of the rest!"

"Are you sure that you can handle them?" she replied with concern.

"We're just a bunch of metal and electronic pieces, their bites won't have any effect on us, hehe!"

Satisfied with Neptr's response, Princess Bubblegum ran outside still holding her sword firmly.

/

"_O-o-ohh... I'm on a boat with a bunch of wackos!_ _Shakin' my hips, and dippin' my fat toe_... _In the water! Dippin' in the water!_ _This party's gettin' hotter! It's so hot..._ _it's_-…!"

"Shhh!" Marceline hissed interrupting Jake's song.

"Aww… but I never get to finish it…" the dog complained.

Deep within the dark and cold shrine the gang walked into a small waterway, which for them (being on dewpian size) was the equal of a wide river. Susan pulled off a giant leaf from a nearby plant and threw it into the water so they could ride it while Marceline and Flame Princess followed them from the air. The current was slow and calm making the ride last for a completely boring two hours…

"Jake shut it please, I think I'm hearing something!" the vampire replied floating forward "It kinda sounds like…a waterfall…"

"Uh-uh…"

Finn, Susan, Jake and Stevie fell at great speed fighting to keep the leaf/boat afloat, desperately, which in the end was an impossible task. Flame P and Marceline followed them and landed on a narrow sidewalk that followed the stream.

"How's the water guys?" the vampire teased floating over their wet heads.

Jake rose to the surface shooting a squirt on her face "Dirty!" he laughed.

"Okay, you asked for it!" Marceline yelled pushing down his head with her foot.

"Help! *Bubbling* Someone! *Bubbling* She's trying to drown me!"

Back on the ground the golden dog shook his body wipe off the remaining water from his fur making everyone (especially Flame Princess) moan and complain angrily.

"Sorry sister… Do you mind if I call you like that? 'Cause you know, someday maybe, I'll become your brother-in-law…hehe!" Jake joked making the young princess blush.

"How about if I just call you Jake, and you just call me Flame P?"

"I have a feeling that everybody has lost their sense of humor lately…" Jake answered leaning on the wall behind them without noticing that he was pushing a secret switch with his butt.

The wall suddenly flipped backwards dragging the two of them with it. Finn and rest flinched and ran towards the wall to attack it frantically "Flame P! Jake!" the human boy yelled "Are you still there!?"

"_Ugh…yeah bro!"_ his brother answered from behind _"I must have touched something…" _

"I warned you, didn't I?! Hidden traps, hidden traps everywhere!" Stevie squealed.

"Calm down!" Marceline ordered pushing Finn and the dewpian away "Flame P, I'm sure that you two will find a way out of this place! Just keep going!"

"_Amm…okay! If you say so…" _Flame Princess's voice replied.

"Flame P!" Finn yelled leaning on the wall "You'll be fine! Nothing bad is gonna ever happen to you, I swear!"

"_What about me? I'm the one who's afraid while FP's cool! I demand you to promise that nothing bad will ever happen to me!"_

"I'm sorry Jake, just make sure that nothing bad happens to her!"

The magic dog rolled his eyes _"I just realized that I was replaced by a girl…"_

/

Bubblegum jammed her arm inside a hollow tree trying to catch one of the bats that she and the robots saw earlier.

"C'mon, it'll be just for a second!" she grunted pulling her arm out.

A large fruit bat was growling and snarling within her grasp.

"Please be patient ma'am, I'll just take your son for a sec!" the princess said while trying to snatch the baby from within his mother's black wings.

Then she grabbed her sweater and used it to keep the mother immobilized while she searched for her nail trimmer inside her purse "You see little guy? I didn't hurt!" Bubblegum chuckled petting the bat's tiny head but when the small creature saw found a chance to bite her finger, he didn't hesitate to do it.

"Hey! What was that for?!" she yelled letting go of him "Whatever, I've got your claw now!" the princess teased sticking out her tongue and then proceeded to release the mother which screeched on her ear before flying back into the hollow tree.

"All bats are the same…" the princess moaned leaning against the tree.

Princess Bubblegum stared at the branches full of red and juicy apples remembering that she didn't have breakfast, her stomach was rumbling and she felt like snatching one of them.

"Yessss…. grab one…" a strange voice hissed, "They are deliciousssss…"

"Yeah right, like if I was going to fall in that old trick!" she replied, "They're probably poisonous or something like that!"

"The applesss are not poisonoussss…but I am!"

A yellow flash was darted over her but the princess managed to roll away with a surprised gasp. She either had an incredible amount of good luck or just some kind of curse on her 'cause her new enemy was a large yellow colored grass snake.

"Just what I needed…" Bubblegum whispered after drawing her sword "Would you mind if I take the tip of one of your fangs?"

"What if I just sink them in your pink ssskin, precioussss…? The snake answered coiling up his thick body.

"Very well…" Princess Bubblegum sighed, "Have it your way!"

And with that she dashed against the fearsome reptile.

/

Susan gritted her teeth while trying to withstand the weight that was falling over her arms. The stone ceiling was slowly falling to crush them against the ground; they still didn't know how they managed to activate another mortal trap along the way but that wasn't going to save them.

"I knew it, I should have stayed outside…I should have stayed outside!" the Dewpian cried curling into a ball.

"Stevie, please!" Finn grunted holding the weight over his head as well "Weren't you worried about your brother? Why don't you try being brave like him?"

"Agh…we won't make it unless we find a hidden switch that deactivates the trap or something!" Marceline replied, "So get moving!"

The small creature flinched at those words, they were right. He had to be brave like his brother and find a way to save their lives, he was the one who got them into this situation after all and they accepted without hesitation. "Okay, I'll do it!"

Stevie dragged his body along the ground searching for a secret button or any kind of switch that could save them, the darkness and the rush made it hard for him to focus and in the end he couldn't find anything.

"Waah! It's the end, we're all going to die inside this dirty dungeon!" the dewpian cried letting himself fall on his tail pushing something.

The stone bricks under his butt sank smoothly and the sound of running gears shifting places filled the air and without any warning the ground collapsed making them slide down through a narrow passage.

The gang screamed all the way down until they kissed the ground landing violently over their faces. Moaning and grunting Finn, Susan and Marceline stumbled while trying to get back on their feet. Stevie shook his head and his nose caught a familiar scent.

"Dewey? Are you there?" he asked squinting his eyes to see in through dark.

"Stevie? Is that you?! Hehe, unbelievable! You actually came for me!"

"W-where is he?" Finn questioned searching around.

"Trapped in spider web." Marceline answered, she was the only one with the ability to see in the dark "But if he's here…wouldn't that mean?"

"The monster…" Stevie whispered shivering in fear.

A sudden strike whipped the vampire's legs throwing her into the ground; she rolled desperately trying to avoid a sharp sting that threatened to pierce through her body.

"What you guys doing?!" Marceline growled angrily "Stop staring at me and do something!"

Finn gulped pulling out her sword "I'll try to but I can't see a thing so, forgive me if I hit you!"

/

The snake's tail was wrapped around Bubblegum's ankle and pulled her up in the air.

"I'll make you pay for poking out my eye with that ssstupid sssword!" the reptile hissed slamming her against the ground over and over again.

"_Quick Bubblegum, think something!"_ the princess cried mentally during the brief intervals in which her body soared above the huge yellow snake.

Bonnibel hit the earth four more painful times before coming up with something, while she was hanging just before being slammed one more time, the princess managed to bent over and slice off the reptile's tail. She fell breathing heavily and quickly turned to stab to it's other eye, the snake hissed angrily and hit her abdomen with his skull.

Bubblegum landed with a painful moan and pressed her stomach with her hands fighting to tolerate the unpleasant sensation that ran through her muscles. _"Stand up, c'mon! You can do it!"_

She dragged her body and leaned on a nearby rock to get herself back on her feet. Bubblegum hoped that she could hide behind it taking advantage of the snake's blindness but she was wrong…

"So you think you can hide, huh?" the reptile's voice whispered getting closer.

"_How could he find me so easily?"_ the princess thought knowing that she was careful enough to move slowly and didn't make any noise to attract her foe.

She closed her eyes and felt a drop of blood running down her nose, Bubblegum immediately covered her face with her hand and then stared at her palm in astonishment wondering how could she had been so stupid?

Her hand was stained with blood just like the grass where had dragged her body, the serpent could easily follow her blood's scent and find her hiding with no trouble at all.

"Idiot!" Bubblegum gasped slapping her forehead.

"Surprisssse!" the reptile yelled wrapping her against the rock with his body "Now I'm going to bite you, don't worry, it'll hurt just a little…then the venom will melt down your bonesss and organsss while you're still alive so I can drain them from your body!"

The princess held the Root sword tightly; she knew that she could rely on that weapon; Finn gave it to her so he could protect her even if he wasn't by her side.

"Okay just…let me say my final words…" she pleaded.

"Well, I guesss that's the least I can do for you before I kill you…Ssspeak now…"

"N-n…NEVER-ENDING PIE RAIN!" Bubblegum shouted confusing the heck out of her killer.

"What'ssss wrong with yo-…?!" the reptile was about to inquire when a pie smacked his face.

"Launching PIES!" Neptr yelled blasting pies against him "Hehe, eat this! Big worm!"

The serpent released his grasp on the princess letting her climb over the rock while tried to remove the itching berry jam that covered his face "That's it! You're dead!" he shouted lunging over Bubblegum not expecting her to move away before his fangs could reach her.

His sharp teeth crashed against the solid rock breaking into pieces, the snake couldn't stand the pain and collapsed on the grass.

"BMO chop!" Beemo yelled striking the reptile's nose with its open hand. The hit wasn't very effective but the snake's maw was extremely sensible at the moment, which triggered another wave of unbearable pain on the animal and caused him to faint.

"I have given him… the coup de grâce…" the videogame console said while it stared at the unconscious creature. / Meanwhile inside the shrine, Jake was striding on his four paws unworriedly through a watery hallway. His body was stretched so that he could carry the fiery princess on his back. Some hours ago the magic dog claimed that he had heard Finn and the others nearby and tried to focus his sense of hearing to find them. They felt extremely lucky, they hadn't been attacked by any kind of monsters and Flame Princess's body was giving them light and warmth, all they had to do was to follow the path before them and hoping to find their friends each time they turned in a corner. "Hehe, yeah!" Jake chuckled "he made "boom boom!" on a leaf and then fell over it! Mom and Dad found him while they were strolling through the woods and brought him home, to tell the truth, I was hoping that they'd bring something to eat, not a stinky baby but I got another brother and friend that day…" "Don't you think is weird that Finn has never wondered about his real parents?" "Nagh…it's better is he stays like that," the dog answered "Finn gets all soul-searchy and weird whenever he thinks about other humans…he's got problems and just between us…" Jake whispered "Sometimes he still cries when he goes to the bathroom…" "_Hey! You almost chopped my arm off!" _

"Did you hear that?!" Flame P gasped, "It was Marceline's voice!"

"Yeah, it was her!" the golden dog replied raising his ear "Over here!" he cried running as fast as he could.

/

Marceline held her arm and leaned on a wall panting heavily "Sorry guys, that thing stung my arm…"

"Marcy, a-are you poisoned?" Finn asked with concern.

"Yeah…" she laughed "But what's it gonna do? Kill me?"

The young hero frowned "Well, I know it's not going to kill you but you're still going to suffer all the effects of the poison!"

"Did you always use to have two heads?" the vampire questioned already under the influence of the toxin.

"_Okay Finn…calm down, you just lost the only one who could actually see the in the dark and you and Susan are probably going to be the next targets…but that's fine 'cause Jake and Flame P are probably coming to rescue us, yeah!"_

/

"Don't worry Princess, I got it!" Jake shouted trying to calm her down after they fell accidentally in one of the many hidden traps that were scattered everywhere inside that ancient temple.

They were hanging over a long and twisted water slide, the current roared as it ran beneath them and the hole from which they just fell through was sealed. The only way out was to let themselves fall in the water and hope that it'll take them with Finn and the others but, of course, Jake knew that he couldn't he's brother lady touch the water.

"Can you stretch your body around mine and cover me?" Flame Princess asked while holding onto a weak vine that hanged from the ceiling.

"Don't tell me that you're thinking what I think you're thinking! Finn will rip off my skin if he finds out that I let you do this!"

"We'll eventually fall if we don't do anything!" the young princess replied, "Just do what I told you, I'll be fine!"

"Glob grant me patience…" Jake muttered while staring at the ceiling and then wrapped his body around the princess covering her completely "how are doing inside there?"

"It smells like vanilla here…" Flame P answered.

"Umm yeah…a wizard put a curse on me…Anyway, are you ready? I'm going to let go of the ceiling in three seconds!"

"Just do it!"

"Okay, one…t-two…THREE!"

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Dewpia and Dewey were part of an unproduced episode for the first season, while I was reading about it on the wikia it reminded me about "The Legend of Zelda Minish Cap" and I wanted them on the fic. Maybe the Zelda fans found references to the game scattered everywhere on this chapter, hehe.

Anyway, thanks everyone for helping me out with my request and for sharing your opinion!

**These are the things I'll be trying to fix on the next chapters:**

–Spelling and grammar (luckily I'll start a new English course on College next month to help me with this issues and I'm considering the idea of getting a beta reader)

–Susan's speech (thanks SoundGeare for warning me about it) it's a little confusing because in one episode she couldn't speak a lot of English and in the other she seemed more advanced on it. I don't want to make her sound a lot like Tarzan because she's actually a smart gal and she's quick on learning, so...it's a bit tricky for me.

–The plot. If you feel it a little blurry don't worry, everything will make sense in time. I already finished with story's planning :)

**There are the things that are going to remain the same**(cause you asked for it):

– The chapters length will be as long as possible (7000 to 10,000 words)

– The story is going to be long. It's not going to be finished by the end of the year (sorry Trickster205) because I can only update once a week, I still have to upload 30 chapters more and the year will end in 15 weeks so if the world doesn't end in December, you'll still be reading this fic in 2013 :)

Well, that's all I guess... did you enjoy this chapter? I hope so!


	31. Goodbye home sweet Ooo…

Tale 31: Goodbye home sweet Ooo…

Green sparks twitched hitting the cold stone walls that twisted around him at the very heart of his own maze, the landscape that surrounded him was dead, even sunlight had left his side a long time ago. Now only dull skies remained covering his putrid head, the air was unbreathable, any mortal stupid enough to step inside the labyrinth would experience the dreadful sensation of being withered alive, and the cold winds that echoed through every narrow path seemed to carry the desperate groans of every doomed soul inhabiting the bowels of the Underworld. The maze was now a reflection of the complex and awry thoughts that dwelled in his dark mind.

His boney fingers were still buried in the ground but not for long, his body was overflowing with energy. The Lich had reached his maximum power. Yes, there were still a few out there whose life force remained untouched but he didn't need them now, the time to finish what he started since he recovered his body has come. The land of Ooo as we know it is about to disappear…

/

Her pink hands sank in the cold water and then returned to her face washing away the dirt, blood and sweat that covered it. Princess Bubblegum stared at her tired reflection for a few seconds and decided to submerge her head into the stream letting the soft current sooth the pain. When her lungs started asking for air she drew her face out shaking the water off her hair.

"Whoa! Careful lady, you're going to make me short-circuit all over the place if you keep making me wet!" Neptr complained rolling around her.

"Great…! I feel better now!" Bubblegum replied getting back on her feet.

Beemo stared at them stroking the grass softly with the Root sword, it was a little too big for its tiny hands and little too heavy for its weak arms but the video game kept playing with the blade anyway. The candy princess sat next to BMO and opened her purse to drop the small fang piece that she obtained after knocking out the yellow grass snake.

"You know guys? When I read about that snake in the magic book I never imagined that it was talking about such a monster."

"Well, the Grasslands are not just inhabited by animals Princess." Beemo commented, "That's another reason of why Finn gave you this sword…here."

Bubblegum received the pink blade and introduced it in her belt "Yeah, you're right. Talking about Finn, how do you think he and the others are doing now?"

"The creator's obviously fine! No need to worry!" Neptr exclaimed optimistically.

/

"I'm obviously not doing fine!" Finn yelled as he tried to keep himself on the monster's back.

The unknown creature roared and jumped furiously fighting to shake off the human. Things would have been a lot easier if at least the tiny ray of light in the area could help their poor vision or if Marceline wasn't delirious because of the venom running through her veins.

Susan Strong was doing the best she could to track the monster in the darkness so she could tackle it down and help Finn but all her attempts ended up with her being slammed against the walls by the creature while it ran wild or with herself running into them blindly.

"Susan not fine either…" she sighed sliding down a wall and resting next to the intoxicated vampire.

"You guys know what's the big problem?" Marceline spoke drowsily "Th-the big problem is…politicians!"

"Finn!" Stevie moaned while he tried to help his brother get out of the old spider web he was trapped in "She's speaking weird again!"

"Whoa! Just…ignore her!" the human replied still trying to control the monster "The venom is making her high or something!"

"No, really guys…everything started at the start, right? When the economy of Greece was feeling lonely but I wasn't 'cause I had my jambo, mambo…Hambo! And then the giant mushrooms tried to scare me but I scared them first…yeah!"

There was no use in ignoring her, Marceline kept babbling weird stuff for what seemed hours for our heroes-to-be and the Dewpians. Glob even the monster was annoyed!"

"Let's all thank the creator for this wonderful weather–thank you Pen!" that was the last thing that the vampire could say before Susan grabbed a rock and knocked her out for the sake of everyone in the dark dungeon.

"She sleeps now." The blonde woman announced hoping that Finn could hear her voice.

The young hero was still fighting to keep himself over the strange creature's back when it suddenly opened its wings and tossed him away. Finn hit the ground with a loud thud complaining about not knowing that the beast had wings and then focused to picture his opponent in his mind, by now he only knew that it had a poisonous tail, sharp claws and now wings? What the math could this creature look like in reality?

Sadly our human friend wasn't given enough time to think about that and react before the monster jumped over him and pushed his body against the cold ground growling angrily.

"Leave me alone!" the creature snarled "or I'll kill you and eat your bones!"

Finn gulped noticing three rows of pointy teeth drawing closer to his face and smelling the creature's sickening breath "Man! Have you ever brushed your teeth?!"

"That's it! You're dead!"

/

Jake descended at high seep through different stone canals that sometimes split into two paths and he had to decide randomly in what direction turn his body so that he could still track Finn's scent as the water carried him and the princess through the darkness. Along the way the magic dog learned to keep his mouth shut because opening it to scream would result in an exaggerated amount of muddy water entering into it, and swallowing that dirty liquid was already turning his face green. More narrow turns and sudden drops that ended up leading him to crazy curves continued to appear while the poor Jake wondered if the soaking torture would ever end or if he was trapped in some kind of infinite cycle where he'll ultimately die along with the fiery princess.

Thankfully a small white point in the distance shined lighting up his hope, well, it could also be the light at the end of the tunnel and they were already dead but as the water pushed him closer and closer the yellow dog whined merrily realizing that his brother's scent was just ahead.

/

"I'm going to rip off your skin and then I'll feast with your guts!" The monster cried licking its lips.

But just before the creature could bite the defenseless boy, a huge explosion of water broke through the walls behind them and stamped everyone's body against the other end of the chamber leaving them all confused, hurt and mostly (or should I say obviously) wet.

Jake spat some water out of his mouth before stumbling dizzily towards Finn and shook him to make him react.

"Hey buddy, long time no see!"

"Jake!" the boy exclaimed jumping into the dog's stretched face and squeezed his nose tightly "You appeared just in time, a big monster was about to-…!"

The sound of something coughing inside his brother made him stop his talking and he began to poke the dog's belly curiously when suddenly Flame Princess popped out of Jake's fur and fell on the ground panting heavily.

"Hey…" she whispered "Guess what, dog fur isn't waterproof, hehe…"

Finn and Jake sighed in relief when they noticed that she was grinning, her body was barely glowing and her skin was dull but it only took her a few seconds to rekindle herself and finally bring some light into the area.

"My eyes!" the monster screeched hiding inside what looked like small cave at the center of the chamber.

"Yeah! With Jake and Flame P on our side we are going to beat you in no time!" the young adventurer yelled drawing his sword "You're going to pay for scaring the people of Dewpia and invading their shrine!"

"I never did that on purpose, now go away and leave me alone!"

Finn and the others blinked in confusion while Stevie managed to free Dewey. Now that he was finally able to see, the human boy smiled at the chubby drop that wore only a pair of pants and a mushroom hat. A couple of leaves on his head seemed to be his ears and dark blue spot surrounded his left eye.

"What do you mean by that?!" Dewey replied angrily "Come here and say that again!" the Dewpian raised his fists getting ready for a fight. "You want to steal our forbidden treasure, don't you?!"

"See? He's the bravest among the bravest!" Stevie cheered.

"Get out of here! Just leave me alone and let me enjoy my new prison, is it too much to ask?"

"My new prison?" Jake whispered stroking his chin "Finn, doesn't that sound familiar?"

"Yes it does!" the human answered leading the ground towards the small cave entrance.

He was lying over pile of golden coins and all kinds of jewels trying to cover his man-like face with his paws while waving his scorpion tail softly. His lion body was covered in orange fur and a pair of dragon wings remained withdrawn on his back.

"The tiny Manticore!"

/

Three hours, it took them three hours to find a globdamn toad around the Grasslands but when they finally found one they weren't even at the Grasslands anymore, somehow, Beemo, Princess Bubblegum and Neptr ended up in the haunted swamp. On top of that, the mud and the tall grass combined with the stinky mist that covered the swamp made it impossible for the two robots to keep walking, so the princess was forced to carry them on her aching shoulders while slashing of the tangled vegetation that blocked their path with her sword.

Bubblegum was smiling despite it all, for some reason she found this whole odyssey for the growing powders funny because in the first place she chose this task thinking that it would be an easy one, maybe Finn and the others ended up getting the easy-peasy job while she mistreated her untrained royal hands trying to find a toad in the middle of the jungle.

"Princess I can see a frog! Over there!" Beemo cried pointing a strange figure that stood quietly within the fog.

"Are you sure that's a frog? That thing is huge!" Bonnibel replied squinting her eyes to see it better.

"Well maybe it is just a mutated toad, you should be grateful, small ones would be impossible to find with all this swampy junk!"

"Yeah…" the princess sighed knowing that something gross was probably going to happen "I guess you're right Neptr…"

Princess Bubblegum advanced carefully until she met a pair of big and yellow round eyes staring at her unresponsively. The creature before her was indeed a giant toad; it was sitting on the mud, just like every toad his face showed apathy and he probably didn't care about anyone else besides him and the flies that buzzed around his frowned face. Our dear sugary princess glanced at the amphibian's dry and warty skin with disgust but tried her best to fake a polite grin.

"Good um…afternoon sir…" she began unsure of how was she going to ask him for a little scoop of his saliva "I'm just–listen I need some of your saliva to make growing powders and help my friends to return to their normal sizes when they return from Dewpia, did you get any of that?"

The toad blinked showing no interest at all.

"Of course you didn't." Bubblegum sniggered "You must think I'm crazy…"

The amphibian turned his eyes away from her and began to croak.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Maybe he's got a poo-brain, just take his saliva! He may not even care about it!" Neptr suggested.

Princess Bubblegum nodded and searched for the Cyclops's tears bottles inside her bag, she knew that one was almost empty but she wasn't going to waste its last drops just like that, they were far too precious to do it and so the princess decided to open the other bottle and carefully pour them inside of it. Once that was done she proceeded to step slowly getting closer to the enormous toad, shivers ran down her spine and the content in her stomach started to boil just by the idea of touching that creature's sticky lips.

"Okay–here I go…" Bubblegum whispered more to herself than to the robots on her back. She stretched her arm holding the empty bottle in her shaky hand but just before she could grab a small sip of saliva with it the toad decided to suddenly display his vocal sac inflating the skin membrane under its throat.

"What the fuc–fudge!?" the princess screamed falling on her butt, her nerves crushed.

"Ohhhh…! The Princess was about to say the word with "F", oh Glob, oh Glob, oh Glob…!" Beemo and Neptr exclaimed in awe.

"Quit it you two, I almost suffered a heart attack!" Bubblegum moaned standing up shakily "C'mon toad, can't you just make things easier for me?"

The amphibian croaked again.

"I thought you were going to say that again, now please stay still!" she yelled lunging over the mutated creature determined to get the last ingredient once and for all. The animal seemed to react at her action firing its long tongue to knock her down and then croaked again. "So this is the way you want it, huh? That's fine for me; let's see who croaks in the end!"

Princess Bubblegum jumped over the toad ignoring how gross that idea was for her while Beemo and Neptr watched with widened eyes. The amphibian fired its tongue at the incoming candy person but this time she was able to catch it and squeeze it tightly with her arms causing him to fight to retrieve his tongue. It didn't take long for the robots to realize that Princess Bubblegum was now enduring a tug-of-war match against the giant toad with the mud and all those required game elements.

"Whoa! Go pink lady! Go!" Neptr cheered at her for the second time in the day "Bring him down!"

"I…can't–my feet…are–slipping…Gah!" Bubblegum fell losing the friction that kept her away from the toad and was instantly pulled inside its maw along with its tongue.

"Princess Bubblegum!" Beemo and Neptr shouted in shock.

The croaker twisted his eyes trying to swallow the princess but it seemed that she was giving him a hard time, the girl's struggle was visible under its skin, she was kicking and punching the animal's throat desperately in a furious attempt escape. The next thing that happened was that the abnormal toad began to draw back his head with an uncomfortable look in his eyes; it was just like when someone is about to…

"That thing's going to throw up! Quick, duck and run!" Beemo alerted rolling away from the scene.

"Beemo I can't see any ducks running around here. Did you hit your head or something?"

"Someone give me patience…" the video game console sighed slapping his screen and jumped to push Neptr away before the toad could cover them with vomit.

Bubblegum was spat out of the amphibian's throat drenched in its stinky saliva "You can't swallow bubblegum–that is…unhealthy!" she mumbled trying to get up from the mud "Look guys, look all the saliva I got!" the princess was clearly not in her right mind.

"H-how did you manage to…?" the grey robot tried to ask.

"Trigger a reaction that ultimately caused this amphibian to expulse me with its emesis? Easy, I just pulled that thing that hangs at the end of the throat, its ovule–no wait that's mine, its uvula…yeah–I'm talking about the uvula…" Princess Bubblegum fainted after that.

"Help me drag her to the Tree Fort." Beemo ordered trying to lift Bubblegum's arm.

"I think we'll need some help…" Neptr replied moving its pie-throwing-appendage up and down.

/

Finn frowned and smacked the Manticore forgetting that he was about to devour him a few minutes ago, the beast obviously stopped covering its face and snarled at boy for slapping his paw.

"What's the big deal?! Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

"Dude!" Finn yelled not backing off "Do you have any idea of what we've been through because of you?! Magic Man almost killed me and Flame P, a stupid underworld dragon that ended up being the masked man could have annihilated us all on the Candy Train and now he's somewhere around here trying to hunt **you **down while **you **are just being a lazy butt beneath our house!"

"I don't know what are you talking about kid–wait! Did you say _masked man_? That's not possible…how do you know about him? Tell me now!" the Manticore demanded shifting to sitting position.

"How do we–? That creep has been pain in the ass since we leaved the Underworld!" Marceline answered stepping inside the small cave. She was holding her injured arm tightly "By the way thanks for making my body numb and giving me a terrible headache!"

"Oh–umm…" Susan decided to keep her mouth shut; the Vampire Queen could be really scary whenever she gets mad.

"Agh!" the winged lion gasped in astonishment "How can you survive to my venom?! You must be a devil! Get out of my sight devil!"

"What the heck's wrong with this guy?" the vampire asked turning her face towards Finn in confusion. He shrugged giving her a similar look.

"You must be cursed, all of you!" the Manticore began "How can you say that you went into the Underworld and met the masked man in there? That's not possible!"

"Well it is and he's searching desperately for you!" Flame Princess rebutted "Wait, why is he looking for you? I don't see that-…"

"You!" the mythological creature gasped once more, this time stepping forward to stare at Flame Princess directly "That sapphire on your chest–how come you have it? Give it to me now!"

"Back off!" Flame P yelled creating a fire barricade between her and the beast "I'm not giving it away, I risked my life to obtain it, it's mine!"

"I see. You are a fire elemental…hehe! You must think that all your problems will be solved just by wearing the Pyrali's sapphire–what a foolish girl, I bet that you don't even know how to use it properly…"

"And I suppose that you do." The fire girl replied harshly.

The Manticore smirked turning around to sit over one of the many piles of gold that covered the ground. "Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Give an explanation of why you know about the masked man and I'll give you an answer, did I make myself clear?"

Finn put a hand on Flame Princess's shoulder as if he was asking for permission to speak, she gave him a nod and he began to tell him their story. He spoke about the Lich messing with the world on the surface, he told him that they were trying to collect the cosmic weapons to defeat him and how they ended up in the Underworld after Princess Bubblegum's radar was stolen.

"There I was killed by him, then, when I found myself in the afterlife my dad told me everything he knew about him. I was supposed to beat him there and prevent him from escaping into the world of the living but I failed." The boy said with a grim look on his face "After that we've been trying to chase that guy so we could retrieve the radar but now we've learned that he's planning to get all the cosmic weapons and corrupt their power to use them against us, and… he has already gotten one…"

The Manticore hit the ground with his tail causing some coins to fly over the gang "So I'm supposed to believe that you're actually planning to face the Lich King using the power of the cosmic weapons and that Barnabas somehow managed to escape from the Kartarus?! That's the best made up story I've heard in centuries but I'm not buying it!"

"What?!" the whole team screeched in surprise.

"Why would we lie–no–how c**an** we lie about something like that? I mean, I don't think that everyone knows about that prison in Underworld and that guy Barney or whatever!" Jake barked walking in front of the group "We even have five cosmic weapons to prove that we're saying the truth!"

"Show them to me, if you are so confident…" the Manticore demanded leaning forward.

Marceline grabbed the Silver cross from her jean's pocket and showed it to him "You already saw the sapphire on my friend's chest and three more buddies up there have the others, a pink ball, a bracelet and um…well, something that used to be a gauntlet."

The beast's eyes widened "No one knows how the cosmic weapons look like; I guess that you weren't lying after all!"

"Finally…!" Jake exclaimed wiping off some sweat from his forehead.

"But…If that's the way things are then–we're all doomed! Unless…" the Manticore circled around Finn and Jake "Have we met before? I think we have and I think that you did something good for me, I shall repay you to clean the shame that is staining my honor!"

"Ugh…Cool dude." Finn grinned uncertainly.

"Yes, now listen!" the lion-like creature slid back to his place over the forbidden treasure "Want to know why Barnabas is looking so desperately for me? That's because he and I, along with two other people, created the cosmic weapons!"

"R-really?!" the human boy gasped in awe "Then you must know-…"

"Everything about them–yes, please listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you because you won't find the story of the cosmic weapon's origin in any pitiful history book!"

/

Flambo focused his energy one more time and summoned the fire runes to cast the flame shield spell on another refugee, then he welcomed him into the Fire Kingdom and proceeded to repeat the action. He has been doing this along with other flambits since the royals agreed to turn the infernal kingdom into a shelter and he didn't really mind about handling a little help, in fact he was surprised that the Flame King could act in such a compassionate way but maybe he was just trying to repay the princess for locking her in the lantern, in any case, if the king was doing it then why shouldn't him?

"Guys, I'm going for some snacks!" Flambo announced leaving his position "Do you want me to bring ya something?"

"Snacks?" one of the minor security guards replied "Snacks!" Two more left their smalls spears behind to join their mate yelling "Snacks! Snacks!"

"Hehe, yeah…I knews you guys were going to say that." The flambit laughed strolling into the Fire palace "Man…life's good!"

He walked calmly not really thinking on anything in particular until he stopped to scratch his head like a little dog, that was when he noticed something weird coming in the distance. Flambo tilted his face in curiosity and jumped over a rock to get a better view, what he saw left him speechless. A dark cloud was soaring towards them destroying the ground beneath it as it advanced. He was instantly possessed by fear but tried to control himself.

"I-I gotta tell the King!" He shouted running into the castle.

Flambo reached the throne chamber in a huff but the Flame King wasn't there, the anxiousness was quickly taking control of his actions when he heard an excited walla coming from the theatre and he quickly made his way over there. The Royal Troop was performing a comedy for the kids not actually making any distinction among fire elementals and other races, they were just there winning the crowd's applause and trying to make everyone happy…or at least they were on that until Flambo arrived and jumped on the stage interrupting their performance.

He searched for the King on his royal box but his seat was empty and this just made the falmbit more anxious than he already was before.

"Can someone please tell me where the heck is the Flame King?!" he shouted in the verge of freaking out.

"Get lost flambit, you're ruining our performance!" one of the actors yelled.

"C'mon guys! _It's an emergency!_" Flambo made sure to whisper the last part to avoid scaring the children.

"What is it, you need to ask him where the rest room is?" another actor laughed.

"Please, this is a life or death matter!" the flambit insisted but he only received more mocks from the fire actors "Right…no one takes a flambit seriously in this place…"

Flambo left the stage considering seriously to forget about everyone else and save his own life but then he overheard two flame guards whispering in one of the hallways.

"_Is the King still inside his daughter's room?"_

"_Yeah, he's been there for four days and he hasn't eaten or slept either…"_

"_Hehe, talking about feeling remorse!"_

"_Shhh! Do you wanna lose your head dude?! Stop mocking the King's condition, this is serious!" _

Having picked enough information our favorite flambit made its way towards Flame Princess's room as fast as he could hoping that the Flame King wasn't suffering some kind of nervous breakdown post "realizing-that-locking up-his-daughter-was-beyond-the-healthy-limits-of-being-evil." Uff…maybe we should give this mental illness an abbreviation. Okay here we go, nervous breakdown post R.T.L.H.D.W.B.T.H.L.O.B.E. …Umm…never mind, just leave it like that…

The Flame King stared at his distorted reflection on the lantern's crystal like he had been doing for the last four days, he had so much to think about, and maybe the fiery king was just feeling confused while also being extremely worried about his daughter's condition. Flame Princess used to be safe in the lantern but keeping her locked was also killing her, what was the right thing to do? Keeping her alive but dead inside or letting her go to enjoy what she had left of her young life? He knew that as an evil being he shouldn't care about it, but for Glob's sake she was his daughter and even evil guys could love.

"Man I feel so lost…"

"Flame King! Flame King! You can punish the good ol' Flambo for interrupting you later but now you've got to listen!" Flambo cried breaking inside "There's a-…!"

"Do you think she hates me?" the depressed king asked cutting off the flambit's words.

"Oh c'mon!" Flambo replied after slapping his face "Everyone in Ooo hates you and you are proud about it, remember?"

"Yeah but, I don't want her to leave this world thinking that her father is some kind of tyrannical freak…"

The small fire elemental rolled his eyes "But–Majesty, you are a tyrannical freak…And you're also proud of it!" he ran to the king's feet and tried to push him towards the window (obviously not moving the mighty fireball an inch) "Besides…she's got Finn, he won't let anything bad happen to her so don't worry–I'm sure that she won't be leaving this world anytime soon, but she probably will if you-don't-focus! Man, you're heavy…!"

"You don't know anything flambit…nobody knows, not even her." The Flame King stamped his face against the lamp's glass and sighed "I hope that sugary princess knows what she's doing…"

"Yeah, maybe she does!" Flambo replied not understanding a word of what his king had just said and kept insisting "Listen, I'm not trying to give yous anymore problems but– if you could just turn your head 32 degrees, you'll notice that the Fire Kingdom is in grave danger!"

The Flaring monarch grunted something quietly and did what the flambit asked just to stop its annoying yelping, when his eyes reached the window and glimpsed the gigantic agglomeration of dark power drawing closer while destroying everything in its way the Flame King snapped out of his depression with a "What the hell is that?!" and then roared at Flambo.

"Quick! Get in contact with the lumpers; tell them to open a portal to their world near our kingdom!"

"And how do I do that?!" asked Flambo trying to imagine some kind of phone or holo-comunicator to the Lumpy Space Kingdom.

"That's your problem! Now, GET MOVING!"

The Flame King leaned on the window forcing his sight to identify the gigantic figure that was rising ominously in the horizon; the king gulped nervously probably for the first time in years and felt an indescribable sensation of fear growing inside his chest. That horned shadow rising in the distance couldn't be other than…

"The Lich…"

/

The Manticore lied like a sphinx over the gold that surrounded him and suggested his visitors to sit-down as well so he could begin with his story.

"What I'm about to tell you happened two hundred years after the Great Mushroom War, back then I wasn't the disfigured beast that's staring at you now, I once was…" his green eyes drifted sadly towards the human boy "…other kind of creature, my name was Galleon…"

I was just a young man who always dreamed of becoming a wizard; I was quite good with magic if you let me say it, hehe… But I wanted more power so I spent every day and every night of my youth studying, and learning about magic and the mysteries of our world.

One day I met a fellow magician at the library and after chatting for hours about our hopes and dreams we quickly became friends, that was when he showed me The Scroll…

"Scroll?" interrupted Jake.

"Questions at the end please!" the mythical beast yelled and then cleared his throat.

As I was saying, he showed me The Scroll–it was an old papyrus with a legend written on it, the legend of the Heavenly Tear. It was said that during the Mushroom War the inhabitants of this planet lost all their hopes and became killer beasts, they destroyed the world… but up there in the heavens, the most powerful deity that governs our universe cried one single tear hoping that its sorrow would bring life back to the world.

"The cosmic owl?" Marceline asked covering a loud yawn with her hand.

"What did I just said about the questions?!"

"Okay, okay…! Sheezh…"

The tear fell from space and crashed on the Earth, its energy was so pure that from the moment in which it kissed the ground the whole planet was revitalized with a new kind of life force giving birth to all the creatures and magic that inhabit our world, some of the war survivors were infected with irradiated matter and mutated to become part of the new species. Some say that when those mutants saw the tear dashing towards the earth, they yelped "Ooo…!" in awe and that's how our land got its name!

"And what does that have to do with us or the cosmic weapons?!"

"Silence devil! I already told you to be quiet!"

Marceline glared at the Manticore but decided to not reply.

"Thank you…Now I can't remember where–Oh yes!"

My friend told me that he knew where to find the exact place where the tear fell and asked me to join him in his journey; I accepted eagerly knowing that the tear could still have some of its power inside. Along the road we met another wizard, a fire elemental to be precise; he was a nice guy you know? The most cheerful fire elemental I had seen in my life, do you want to know his name?

The gang nodded.

"His name was Pyralis" the Manticore answered enjoying the disconcerted faces of his visitors "Are you connecting the dots? The three of us managed to find the Heavenly Tear after several months of traveling around Ooo, it was beautiful. A huge sapphire shaped like a teardrop buried in the ground, that's how it looked like before we decided to destroy it so we could extract its power."

And guess what happened after that, we couldn't take its power. We missed something…We spent the next ten years trying to understand the sapphire's shards nature until Pyralis came up with a new discovery. Somehow he managed to unleash the power of one shard and by combining it with his magic he created the amulet now known as the Pyrali's sapphire.

I was happy for him but my friend thought that we could use that power to create bigger things, so he forced Pyralis to show him how to trigger the sapphire's energy. Only seven shards remained after many failed experiments but at that point we had already learned the secrets of their nature and we started to create more artifacts with them, artifacts with a great power but also with a grave outcome.

By the time when Pyrali's and I got to realize that there was something wrong with our friend we had already created six cosmic weapons, I created the Cosmic Gauntlet and the Duple Bracelet, Pyrali's had his amulet and the Silver Cross while our mate forged the Bow of Artemis and then infused one of the shards in a warping sphere giving it the power to warp between alternate dimensions and even time itself. Witnessing our success our friend grew greedy and he began to use his weapons for unknown purposes, I could feel that darkness was blinding him so I told Pyralis about it and he created the Siren's ring with the seventh shard.

With its power we managed to reveal his evil intentions, he wanted to control the world using the weapons and we couldn't allow him to do it. That day Pyralis and I decided to put an end to our cosmic madness so we sealed the weapons' powers. That seal would only reveal the weapon's true potential to those who proved to be worthy of using them, people with noble ambitions, people brave enough to take a stand against evil and defend the innocent in order to bring justice to the world.

"People who were heroes!" Finn shouted standing up all of a sudden. "Like when Billy used the Cosmic Gauntlet to kick the Lich's butt, right?"

"Yes…I guess you can say it in that way…" the Manticore replied "But that's not the end of the story so be quiet!"

Of course, our friend didn't like that–He forced Pyralis to tell him how to break the seal and he told him to suck Hunson Abadeer's butt in the Nightosphere, hehe…oh Pyralis…he was betrayed by his friend that terrible day. Pyralis was gravely injured and before leaving towards his grave–…

"The ice cavern…" Flame Princess whispered thoughtfully.

"Yes, he took his amulet with him to the grave but not the seal's secret." The Manticore smirked.

Before leaving he gave me the answer written in a piece of paper and asked me to hide it where no one could find it. Now why do you think Barnabas is looking for me so desperately huh?

"Because he was your friend!" Jake squealed "Oh my Glob I get it all now!"

I took the secret and the last shard with me towards the Sea of Sure Dead where I wandered aimlessly until I found a deserted island. I hid the secret and lied there for centuries waiting for Death to end with my misery, but somehow, my exposure to the cosmic power made me immortal.

I thought that I was going to spend eternity cursing my fate until one day a ship appeared from within the mist and my savior descended from it. He was a young man on a journey to find treasures and adventures; I remember that he also had a wife and a small child– yes they were a nice group of people and for saving my life I gave them the eighth shard in return.

The more time I spent with them, the more I wanted to become an adventurer and sail the seas–it was great, that young man gave my life a twist but I never expected to bring one into his life…a terrible twist… Because of me Barnabas attacked his ship and killed everyone on board, I tried to protect them with my magic but he was stronger and in the end he cursed me turning me into a freaking tiny Manticore!

"I don't know what happened to that good fella and his family after that, I could only hope that the sapphire I gave him could make some kind of miracle while I was trapped in bottle jail with that stupid Magic Man…"

"And what happened with Barnabas then?" Stevie asked totally focused on the story.

"Oh, he was captured by a peppermint guy and imprisoned in the Underworld." The Manticore replied "But somehow that bastard managed to escape, he's probably looking for me so I give him the location of Pyralis' secret but I rather spend an eon in the Nightosphere before doing that!"

"Wait! Did you say _peppermint_? Peppermint Butler?!" Finn and Jake shouted in unison.

"Yes, the same one." The beast answered dryly.

"I always knew that Pep But was hiding something weird!" Jake replied.

Marceline frowned and crossed her arms in resignation "So now that we know all of this, what are we supposed to do?"

"That's easy vampire" voice said behind them "Hand me the Manticore and I promise to let you live the few minutes of life that you have left…"

"Curse you Barnabas! How the hell did you?!" the Manticore yelled fiercely.

"I just followed these fools down here–by the way, how have you been Galleon old friend?"

"Shut up! I'm going to kill you!"

"Whoa, hey! Don't forget about us!" Finn said drawing his sword.

"Yeah! We still have some loose ends to tie!" his brother added growing in size to look menacing.

The masked man glanced at the group as their acquired offensive stances ready to attack him "This is what you want, right?" he questioned showing them Princess Bubblegum's radar "How about this? The radar for the Manticore…"

"You've got to be kidding!" Flame Princess groaned gritting her teeth.

"You better give me an answer fast because up there the Lich is about to destroy your precious homeland and I've got more important things to do, so hurry!"

"What?!" the whole group cried not believing his words.

"I guess the old corpse grew tired of waiting. Now tell me, what's it going to be?"

The human boy fixed his stare at the cold ground clenching his fists, what that creep just said couldn't be possible, it had to be lie, it had to.

"Hey human boy!" the Manticore called "I'll go with him, retrieve your device and save us when you guys are ready!" he grinned.

"But what about-?!"

"It's fine Finn, we find a way…" Susan whispered patting his shoulder.

"It's a deal then!" the masked man laughed tossing the radar at Marceline's hands "Galleon, it's time!"

He created a strange lasso with his dark powers and captured the mythical beast with it to later vanish in a cloud of black smoke. When the gang's vision was cleared they found themselves growling impotently but they quickly had to regain their spirits when something hit the land creating a loud rumble. It was time to abandon Dewpia…

/

The Ice King waited out of the Tree Fort holding the bag of growing powders nervously, the world was crumbling around him and it was taking his teammates an eternity to come out from under the tree.

"Oh Gunter we are going to die here and it's gonna their fault! Why can't they bring their butts up here now!?"

"Wenk…" the penguin replied shrugging.

"Hey!" a tiny voice cried angrily "Whose butts are you talking about?!"

"The vampire girl!" the old man shouted crouching to pick up the tiny creatures "Hey, I thought there were only two of them!" he complained holding a bunch of Dewpians within his grasp.

The Ice King quickly entered in the Tree Fort and used the magic powders on his friends to bring them back to their normal size, then they joined the rest of their friends but now there wasn't time for salutations or emotive reunions, they had to leave the Grasslands as fast as possible.

With a great amount of effort Turtle Princess managed to get everyone on her rocket sled…maybe they should have waited to use the growing powders…But in times of desperation one can never think clearly so we'll forgive them this time.

The giant silhouette of the Lich in the horizon seemed to enjoy the chaos that was surrounding him just like if it were a kid messing with his toys. His hands slammed the ground destroying every building on the land and then he cast a spell on the sky to cover everything with darkness only to laugh maniacally cutting the air with the sound of his raspy voice.

Cold gusts hit the gang's faces as they soared through the dying land searching for shelter. Nobody said a word or a joke to crack the tense environment that grew around their grim stares; they were silent letting everything beneath them vanish at the hands of the Lich King.

Jake leaned down to glance at the Tree Fort, he knew that it was going to be destroyed soon and this thought was making him uneasy "Just give a moment, I'll be back." He stated calmly attracting everybody's disconcerted eyes towards him "I just need to…I need to go there…"

And with that the magical dog jumped out of the rocket sled and stretched to reach the Tree Fort. He heard everyone screaming his name behind, especially Finn, but this was something that he had to do. Inside everything was falling apart, the piles of books from Turtle Princess Library covered the wooden floor, cups, dishes all the junk that he and Finn had collected during their adventures were falling from the shelves. The old willow tree was collapsing.

"What the heck's wrong with that dog?!" Billy gasped angrily "Can't he see that-…oh no…"

The Lich had cast green flames on his hands, though it wasn't easy

to tell just by looking, the legendary hero and his teammates could feel their enemy's frozen stare on them. Two greenish points glowed from within the darkness on top of the large silhouette, they were his eyes. There was no doubt the Lich King had them on sight.

"Quick, you must change our position!" Billy ordered shouting on Turtle Princess's ear.

She managed to dodge one of the fireballs but she couldn't react fast enough to avoid the second one, the group closed their eyes waiting for the hit but an intense wave of heat caused them to peek nervously. A fire barrier blocked the attack; Flame Princess flew in front of them with a concerned look on her face.

"I thought it wasn't going to work, that guy is too powerful! If he repeats the attack I won't be able to block it again, we must leave this place now!"

Finn gritted his teeth glancing back at the Tree Fort, he couldn't leave without Jake. "You guys runaway and please try to stay alive while I go for Jake!" he ordered.

"Are you nuts?!" Princess Bubblegum replied "What will happen after you find Jake? How are you planning to catch up us?!"

"Flame P will help me, right?" the young human stated searching for the fiery girl's eyes.

"Of course I will." She answered with a smile.

"Great, get moving 'cause that thing is not going to wait for you!" Marceline warned floating next to them. Her eyes were focused on the Lich's figure as he conjured more flames to repeat the attack "I have a feeling that this creep is just playing with us…"

Bubblegum grabbed Finn's shoulders and stared at him severely "I just want you to know that I don't like this at all, if it was up to me I wouldn't let you two go after Jake but there's nothing I can do to stop you, isn't that true?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry Peebles." Finn whispered "Jake is my brother and I can't leave him behind."

"You're right, just be careful okay?" the princess smiled.

"Sure!" the boy nodded.

/

Jake's arm stretched towards their bedroom looking desperately for something on his drawer/bed, on the living room the poor dog was lying under the heavy debris that were once part of his home. He was trapped, the weight was crushing his magical bones and he was sure that he wasn't going get out alive from this one but he wasn't going to quit just because of that. Jake needed to retrieve _that_ before being crushed by the Tree Fort or killed by the Lich or by whatever happenened first.

Another cursed fireball crashed breaking the windows and the fire spread quickly around him. "Okay…" the yellow dog said trying sooth himself with the sound of his own voice "I'm gonna be fine, hehe…yeah…." He sighed nervously "C'mon where are you?!" his paw began to punch away everything on its way searching frantically for his bed.

"Jake?! Jake!" a voice called from the treasure room. It was Finn's voice.

"Dude get out of here, do you want to get yourself killed again?!" Jake's voice replied from upstairs.

"I won't leave without you, now stop playing suicide and get over here!" the boy yelled angrily "And don't tell me that you're trying to make another croak dream real again!"

"Umm…more or less!" the dog replied "I'd really like to go with you but I'm trapped here buddy!"

"What?! Hold on, I'm coming for ya!"

Finn ran across the entrance searching for the ladder that will take him with his brother but the place was so wrecked that it was impossible to reach it, the boy quickly decided to unsheathe his sword and stabbed the wall with it to climb up. The ceiling was very weakened by now so he only had to use his fist to break through it and pop inside the living room.

"Jake! Where are you?!"

"Right here bro!" Jake's voice replied from under a bunch of broken planks and junk.

"Oh no!"

Finn ran to his side and started to remove all the debris frantically "Are you okay?"

"I think my legs are broken dude…" the magical dog chuckled "But I think I lost the Clown nurses' number, hehe…"

"I can't believe you're joking in a moment like this, outside the Lich is trying to knock us down and I have Flame Princess keeping our butts save in the middle of all this chaos!" his human brother spat "What the plum were you trying to do, huh?!"

"Don't get mad at me bro, I couldn't leave without this…" he said as he quickly retrieved his stretched arm from the bedroom upstairs and showed Finn a couple of framed pictures.

Finn took one of them and frowned staring at the image of Jake hugging Lady "You do know that Lady is waiting for you, right? You can't risk your life for a picture, I mean, if we manage to get out of alive you can take yourself hundreds of pictures with her!"

"I know…hehe…but that moment means a lot to me…" the dog claimed "Just like this one…"

The young adventurer received the other picture and his eyes widened in surprise, the image of Joshua and Margaret hugging a young Jermaine and a couple of babies (Finn and Jake) was reflected in his blue eyes.

"I-I…had never seen this one before…" he whispered feeling a lump in his throat.

"That's because I found it before this whole madness began…I was planning to give it to you as a birthday present…" Jake smiled "Happy birthday bro…!"

"Jake…my birthday was weeks ago and you know it…" Finn replied cursing mentally his tear ducts.

"Well, better late than never!"

"Come here you poo-brain…" the boy said grabbing the dog carefully "I'm going save our lives, I promise."

But right after he finished talking Flame Princess's body crashed beside them breaking the walls but even though she looked pretty jacked up, she managed to quickly get up on her feet mumbling angrily.

"I knew that I wasn't going to be able to block another attack…!" she grunted holding her right arm.

"Flame Princess, are you okay?" Jake asked worriedly.

"I'm alive…" the fire girl answered trying to avoid telling them that she wasn't okay. "Just hurry, I'll take you out of here."

"Are you sure?" Finn got closer and touched her arm softly making her flinch painfully "You won't be able to carry us like that, we have to come up with something else!"

"I know, let's go to the Look out Boat! I'll stretch into a glider or something like that to flyaway from here!"

The human boy stared at the dog in his arms anxiously "But…you're hurt…"

"Princess Bubblegum has some Cyclops's tears with her, I'll be fine!"

The Finn and Flame Princess decided to climb the tree from the outside using its branches to move upwards knowing that it was easier that way than by trying to overcome all the obstacles inside the collapsing structure, once they reached the boat the human boy laid his brother in one of the chairs that were placed under the umbrella. Then he used the telescope to search for his friends but they weren't in sight.

"Jake are you sure that you can do this? I can't see them, what if-?"

"Nonsense dude, I still have my nose, remember? All I have to do is to track them down following their scent…"After saying that Jake tried to stand up but he quickly fell back on the chair "Oh Grod…I never thought that was going to be so painful!"

"That's it, forget it Jake! I don't want you to get hurt!" Finn yelled holding the dog's shoulders firmly.

"Th-then how are we going to join…them…?" Jake whispered tiredly.

The boy felt frustrated and hugged his brother tightly "I've got no idea!" he cried.

Flame Princess stared them sadly, maybe these were really their last minutes of life. She sighed placing her eyes on the grayish skies searching despairingly for a sign of hope…her eyes reached something that was descending towards them. The young princess rubbed her eyelids with her fists and stared at the sky one more time to make sure that her desperate mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

A long figure was wriggling at great speed in the Tree Fort's direction; Flame P peeked through the telescope and gasped as she noticed the seven bright colors of the rainbow cutting through the dark clouds.

"Finn come here quickly! You gotta look at this!" the princess called in excitement.

"Holy math saints! It's Lady Rainicorn! We're saved!" the boy cheered dancing around his friends "Are you listening Jake?!"

"Yeah…my lady is coming to save us…!" Jake replied "Dude I think I'm gonna cry…"

Lady arrived in a huff panting heavily and instructed them to get on her back to instantly shoot herself upwards, when they reached a great height they noticed the figure of Turtle Princess's rocket sled, and then Marceline floated down to catch up with them.

"We were going towards the Lumpy Space Kingdom but that Lich-jerk is going to blow this place!" the vampire began "We are not going to make there in time so…"

"So?!" Finn and Flame P inquired gravely.

"So you'll come with me!" Hunson Abadeer's voice answered opening a portal over their heads.

Turtle Princess and the others entered without hesitating giving Lady Rainicorn the confidence to do the same. She flew into the Nightosphere trying to ignore all the frightening chaos that suddenly appeared before her eyes and followed Marceline while she guided them towards the Lord of Evil's mansion.

Inside there they found the rest on the gang sitting on the floor exhaustedly while the Pagelings and the Dewpians ran around them probably playing something to distract themselves from all that gloomy situation.

"Oh thank Gob…!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed when Lady landed inside "Is everyone okay?"

"No, Flame P and Jake need help!" Finn replied anxiously.

Bubblegum didn't have to think it twice before ordering them to sit-down so she could start working on their injuries, with the Cyclops's tears help Flame Princess's arm was quickly healed and Jake's turn to be treated arrived soon.

"That bruise on your forehead looks pretty bad Princess, why haven't you healed it?" the magical dog questioned while Bubblegum worked on his broken bones.

"It's a minor injury; we have to save the tears for serious wounds."

"Oh…right…"

When he was fully healed Jake ran to Lady's side expecting to receive a hug or a kiss from her but all he got was an angry slap on his cheek.

"Whoa! What was that for?!" he cried rubbing his hurt cheek.

"Lady is mad at you for risking your life so foolishly…" Princess Bubblegum commented while she placed the bottle with the magical liquid inside her purse.

"Jake! 당신이가 될 때 어떻게 당신의 목숨을 위험 수-…?!" She couldn't finish the phrase and left the room sobbing bitterly.

"What the cabbage did you do to her?" Bubblegum inquired in astonishment.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" Jake answered in obvious confusion "She just started acting weird all of a sudden!" he touched his hurt cheek lightly "Ouch! Does this qualify as a serious wound?"

"It's a minor injury." The Princess replied following her Rainiconrn into the other room.

"Hmmph! women…" the yellow dog sighed feeling offended and decided to walk around the place.

Jake entered into a room with pictures of the Abadeer family and grinned at the image of the "terrible" Hunson Abadeer cradling his baby Marcy tenderly in his arms, then in another wall, his eyes glimpsed a familiar face.

"What the hey?! Peppermint Butler playing golf with the Lord of Evil?!" he screeched not believing his eyes.

_"So what do you have in mind Miss Marceline?"_ Pep But's voice whispered.

Jake followed the voice until he bumped with a locked door and peeked through the keyhole. Hunson Abadeer was sitting on a black leather chair with his feet comfortably placed over his desk's table. His daughter was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed while Peppermint Butler and Death stared at her from their seats.

"Admit it Vampire Queen, this has gone too far! The situation is getting out of your hands!" Death exclaimed pointing her with his bony finger.

"And why are y'all so worried? I thought that you didn't care about mortals and their problems…" Marceline questioned.

"Hehe, you see baby…" the Lord of Evil began "This Lich King guy has incremented his powers outstandingly and now even our universes are at stake."

"And now you need us more than ever…" the Vampire Queen chuckled "I guess we'll be counting with your help then."

Death growled and turned his face away "Yeah, but only because Peppermint Butler requested it!"

"You were the one who sent Lady, didn't you?"

"Yes, it was me Miss Marceline." The small candy answered calmly "I knew that something like this was going to happen soon but, hehe, not so soon. When we received an emergency call from the Fire Kingdom I couldn't help but to think in you guys and I was forced to alert your father."

"I suppose that you used Death's portals to save everyone at the Fire Kingdom, right? They are now with the lumpers…" Marceline guessed with her arms still crossed.

"Everything happened just like you said!" the butler confirmed. "Even the Flame King is there trying to rekindle himself."

"Rekindle? What happened to him?"

"During the fuss he was attacked by his nephews but he took control of the situation thanks to the flambit Flambo and he's doing fine now, there's no need to worry."

"Man, I'd like to hear what happened there but I guess I'll have to wait…" the vampire said while staring at the ceiling "Well, I need you to take us to the Lumpy Space Kingdom as quick as possible. We have a bunch of tiny weenies with us and I'm obviously not letting stay in the Nightosphere."

"Why not?" her father whined with a naughty smirk "You know? Ironically this place is now one of the safest places to hide from the Lich's unholy powers!"

"We're still going to the Lumpy Space Dad so quit it!" Marceline glanced at the small candy man "When will we be ready to leave?"

"Right away Miss!" Peppermint Butler announced making a small bow.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

To those who were waiting for my usual Tuesday updates...SORRY! My laptop's battery failed or something like that and I couldn't even turn it on, then I left it on repair but those people haven't called me so I guess it isn't ready yet...I'm so frustraded because is obviously easier to write on a laptop, I mean, I can write everywhere with it! And this week I had to use the desk computer and tolerate the T.V., my brother pushing me out of the chair because "it was his turn to use it" and my dog roaming around and distracting me with his cuteness.

I guess that you can get an idea of why it took me longer than usual to update...Well at least I achieved 10.000 words to compensate you for waiting patitiently (or not) for the update.

Please tell me is this chapter was worth the waiting, it was very hard for me to write it so I hope that you actually enjoyed it.

One last thing, we all know that google translator sucks so I'll write Lady's original dialogue here: "Jake! How can you risk your life when you're about to be-..." and then she leaves dramatically and stuff.

Well since my laptop is not ready yet I can't tell if I'll be able to update next Tusday but there **will** obviously be an update next week so don't worry! If there isn't any it'll be because I got an accident or I died.

Okay, see you next week then!


	32. Losing sight of the shore!

Tale 32: Losing sight of the shore!

Death rolled his eyes (if he had any) and nodded in resignation, the skeletal gardener wasn't anyone's servant but at this point of the whole "Lich chaos" he wasn't allowed to take the privilege of living just for himself like he always did. While it was true that places such as the Lumpy Space Kingdom, the Nightosphere or the Cloud Kingdom, were out of the unholy king's reach, it was also true that his power was growing tremendously and that it was just a matter of time before those places were consumed as well.

"Yeah, okay. I'll open a portal to the lumper's kingdom my friend."

"Excellent!" Peppermint Butler exclaimed switching his gaze from Death's skull to the Vampire Queen's face "I shall announce the others about the departure in this instant Miss!"

"Hold on Pep But, I'll do that myself." Marceline said walking across her father's office "There are many things that the others need to know so, just make sure that your friend helps with the portal."

Death growled unperceptively while following the vampire with his sight, she stepped in front of the door and turned around slightly to face them and stuck out her long forked tongue at him.

"See ya later, I guess…" Marceline sighed turning back to the door and kicked it open hitting the magical dog behind it without remorse causing him to groan "C'mon Jake, don't be such a whining baby!"

The Vampire Queen slammed the door and a painful "You knew I was there the whole time!" was heard following her steps.

"Hehe, kids these days…!" the Lord of Evil chuckled crossing his arms behind his head.

"Her bad-manners are your fault and you know it." The red-stripped candy man pointed jumping from his seat.

"Right, you spoiled that gal. She has no respect whatsoever towards her elders!" Death spat grumpily.

"Yeah, that's my girl!" Hunson Abadeer sighed with pride "Always making her old man proud!"

The Lord of Evil held his pleased grin for awhile before shifting to a sitting position and glared the Reaper with repressed anger.

"What is it?!" questioned Death because of Hunson's sudden mood swing.

"A little birdie told me that you were about to steal my daughter's immortality one of these days… who told you that you could mess with my child's unlife, huh?!" the bluish man stood up from his seat with a quick move and squeezed an imaginary ant with between his thumb and his index finger "I was this close of losing her forever, what the hell is wrong with you!?"

"Don't yell at me Abadeer, she asked for it!" Death said justifying his actions "Your kid was determinate to lose her existence just to save that human tramp's soul!"

Hunson exhaled heavily dropping his weight back on his black leather chair "So Marceline considers that boy's life more valuable than her own existence? When was the last time that human souls had any importance to us?"

"I guess, if you let me, that humans had always been interesting…" Peppermint Butler replied "They used to have a certain spark that we lack to own and that boy, Finn, he's full of that something and somehow he has transmitted it to everyone around him, even your daughter Sir."

The Lord of Evil rubbed his brow thoughtfully and sighed in annoyance "You know what? This chat is starting to give me a headache; I'm gonna get myself a sandwich…" He left his seat and walked flexing his articulations stiffly towards the door "You guys want something from the fridge?"

"A glass of water would be nice, thank you." The butler answered.

"Oh! Umm…I want a sandwich too but no cheese please…" Death murmured while staring at the floor "I'm intolerant to lactose…"

/

An orange demon with a brown mustache and two small horns on top of his head was following the hero Billy insistently around the whole Abadeer's mansion. He carried a cup in his right hand filled with some unknown liquid that smelled like coffee but wasn't coffee, and a clipboard under his left arm.

"Yo, listen Sir. I'm going to stop following you if you stop being a jerk and listen to me!" The demon cried.

"No, I already told you! I don't want to buy anything!" the green man yelled covering his ears.

"Man, I not a seller! I just need your help, so if you'd please be so kind to stop your running and your rambling, I would appreciate it a lot!"

Billy sighed tiredly and did what the demon said facing him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Thank you!" the demon smiled "Now let me explain you how things work around here, but first, a brief introduction about myself! My name is Cole and I'm the head and currently only member of the Demon Apathy Society, the goal of this organization is to establish a democratic form of government in the Nightosphere."

"A demo-what?" asked Billy staring at him in confusion.

"Look you know this guy Hunson Abadeer, right? Well, he happens to be our ruler and the only thing he does is to push us down under his boot!–which is a fancy way of saying that the Lord of Evil keeps us under a repressive government–Do you understand what I'm saying, Mr.? We have no rights!"

"But this is the Nightosphere, this place is supposed to be sustained by chaos and evil–if you stay here, you'll never be happy–can't you just leave?"

The demon with the not-coffee mug shook his head frantically making the legendary hero sigh and roll his green eyes.

"What do you want me to do then?" Billy muttered impatiently.

"Easy good sir, all you have to do is to sign your name in this form! The goal is to get two thousand signatures so that we can start a rebellion and kick Hunson Abadeer out of his comfortable seat of repression and chaos!" Cole the demon stated enthusiastically.

"And your boss knows something about this?" the legendary hero asked while he tried to write his name on the clipboard's paper. "Man, I forgot how to spell my name…"

"In fact he laughs in my face all the time and he even gave me the pen you're using to collect the signatures…" Cole sobbed quietly "He never takes us seriously…"

"Well, here you go." Billy said giving him the clipboard and the pen back "That's all I can do for you, I guess. How many signatures have you collected at the moment?"

"With this one…two!"

"Two hundreds?" the hero questioned raising an eyebrow.

Cole shook his head "No just two, yours and mine! But don't worry, I believe in the power of one dude!"

"Oh yeah the power of one, the power to spread hope to a million people from a single heart!" Billy smiled.

"No, I'm talking about the power of one dude. I'm just one dude, dude!" the demon rebutted before taking a sip from his mug.

Billy frowned shaking his head softly while he walked away "Well, good luck with that, dude…"

"Thanks dude! Now, if I could-…aha!" Cole exclaimed as he spotted the Ice King and Gunter in a corner "Hey good fellas! Have you ever heard about the farmers' market?!"

/

Finn grinned watching how the Pagelings danced as flowers around Susan to distract her from the demonic Nightosphere horrors that were frightening her, the human boy understood that the hyooman was brave but, because of her wilderness, even though she has learned a great deal of things during the journey, sometimes her own shadow on the wall still caused her to cover her green eyes in fear. People will always be afraid of what they don't get to understand or of what they don't know anything about, that was a fact. Well, or so Princess Bubblegum said two years ago when they were making the Descorposinator Serum in the Candy Kingdom's Graveyard before adding the explosive diarrhea into the formula and being attacked by a candy zombie horde for the first time.

The young hero sighed; he has never understood many things in his life, he knew that his brain wasn't brilliant like Peebles' but he never really felt scared about anything, except for the day when Jake took him to the ocean. That Globdamned mass of saltwater, Finn never got over it, but he was determinate to live his mortal life ignoring that fear. Everything would be fine just as long as he keeps his butt on firm land and his fear vault remained locked.

The human boy strolled through the dark hallways and sat just a little farther away from the crowd that filled Marceline's dad domicile searching for some privacy; he swung his backpack off his shoulders and slid down the cold rock wall to sit for a while. Finn rummaged through his adventure items until he finally found the framed picture that Jake gave him at the Tree Fort, Joshua and Margaret smiled at him warmly. He would be lying if he dared to say that he remembered that day, the picture was probably taken during one of Joshua's famous fishing trips were the whole family was invited to assist.

Finn touched the picture lightly not really thinking about how unusual a human baby looked surrounded by four yellow bulldogs, he missed his mom and his dad but somewhere in GlobWorld the two of them were watching him now, that was what they told him when he died. Finn smiled while he listened to his father's voice in his mind.

"Your family?" someone asked sweetly from the window behind him.

The poor boy was completely startled and almost dropped the picture during his freak out outburst; the truth is that no one really expects that someone might pop out of a window while you're drifting among your thoughts.

"Oh, it's you…" Finn sighed with relief still embracing the photo protectively "Flame Princess, w-what were you doing out there?"

The fiery girl let herself fall inside and landed on her feet without making any effort "I was just exploring a bit, you know? This place is very similar to my homeland, except for all the demons and the chaotic atmosphere."

"Heh, I can imagine that…" the human chuckled focusing on the flaming landscape through the window.

"Can you show it to me? The photo, Jake told me about your family and I'm just feeling a little curious." Flame P asked nervously.

"Wha..? I mean, yeah! Sure!" Finn sat down tapping the floor to indicate her to do the same, when she was by his side he stopped hugging the picture and showed it to her "The one with the hat is dad and next to him is mom."

"Who's the one with the funny eyebrows, your uncle?" the princess asked pointing the image of an unknown dog.

"He's my other brother Jermaine, didn't you-…?" Finn stopped talking when he realized that he was going to make a stupid question "Nah forget it, you and Marcy weren't with us when we climbed to the Cloud Kingdom."

"Yeah, we were busy trying to not get killed by a vampire demon." Flame Princess chuckled and then stared at the Finn's family photo for a while. "Have you always carried this you?"

"Oh, no…Jake just gave it to me. He said that it was going to be my birthday present." The boy answered calmly.

"Birthday? Oh! The thing that Jake organized when were staying with the Marauders, yeah it was pretty cool!" she replied in excitement. "When's the next one?"

Finn's eyes widened for a few seconds "Thing? Next one? What do you mean by-…Flame P; do you know what a birthday party is?"

The girl nodded enthusiastically "A party that Jake makes for you." She answered feeling sure of herself, but that confidence vanished at the sight of her boyfriend's confused stare "What?"

"It's just…" the young hero stammered "Your father never-…the people from the Fire Kingdom, don't they celebrate their birthdays? Everyone has to have a birthday, the day in which you were born is important!"

Flame Princess tilted her head stroking her chin thoughtfully "Well, I don't know. It's hard to notice what's going on around you when you're locked in a lantern the whole day…to tell the truth I don't even get what you're talking about."

Finn smiled at her worriedly and decided to explain her what birthdays are "Look, people make birthday parties to celebrate the date in which they were born, or in my case, found. It's like, your own special day and everyone should have one! I want to know when you were born so I can give you a nice gift or make you a party, that would be really awesome don't you think so?"

"Yeah, I'd like that but…I don't know my birth date…" the young princess replied in disappointment.

"That's okay, we can use the day when we met for the first time!"

Flame P blinked in amazement "You remember that date?"

"Sure, February thirteenth!" Finn exclaimed proudly "That day is kinda impossible to forget, believe me, it was crazy…"

"I know what you mean!" Flame Princess laughed remembering the chaotic day when a blue dog walked across her father's royal chamber. "And when is that day coming again?"

"In a couple of months…if we're still alive…" the boy whispered "Sorry, usually I'm not a pessimist guy but with all this-…"

"It's okay, I'm aware of that too." She smiled at him, a faint glimmer of hope shinnying in her eyes "I don't care what happens after we leave this place just as long as we're together."

Finn returned the smile and grabbed her hand caressing her golden skin with his fingertips tenderly "I love you…"

"난 원하지 않아!" Lady Rainicorn's voice was heard through the hallway.

"Lady, please!" Princess Bubblegum replied "Just tell me what's wrong, I promise that everything's going to be fine!"

"…" the Rainicorn didn't reply.

"Oh, c'mon! Quit with the tantrum already, you know you're too old for that!" the sugary princess shouted angrily.

"사라 수!"

Finn and Flame Princess exchanged an awkward look and decided to find out what was going on with Lady and Peebles, the Candy Kingdom's monarch was knocking a door insistently with an annoyed frown on her face while some bothered whines in Korean were heard behind it.

The young couple arrived at the scene still holding their hands "What's wrong with Lady?" the human boy asked with concern.

"I wish I knew!" Bubblegum replied crossing her arms "All she's been doing is crying and blaming Jake for being stupid."

"But she likes when Jake is stupid," Finn commented "It makes her feel smart!"

"Well, not today…" the princess replied staring at them "She's been suffering mood swings every now and then since we left the Candy Palace but this one is the worst I've ever seen."

"Maybe she's just angry with Jake for almost getting himself killed." Flame Princess shrugged.

"Talking about mood swings," Bubblegum began "Finn may I steal Flame P for a little while?"

But before the boy could even reply Princess Bubblegum had already snatched Flame Princess' hand from his grasp and was dragging her along the corridor, she took the fiery girl to the main hall and asked her to sit on one of the couches that decorated the place while she looked for something inside her purse. Finn arrived a few seconds later and decided to join his girlfriend in staring at Princess Bubblegum with curiosity.

"Where's that thing? I'm sure that I-…aha! Found it!" the pink girl exclaimed pulling out a small first aid kid from her handbag. She opened it and showed them an electronic thermometer "Now say aaa…!"

"But, I don't feel sick or anything! Actually you just used some Cyclops' tears on mmm-!" before the young princess could keep complaining Bubblegum simply jammed the device into her mouth.

"Don't worry I'm just making some tests and you're the perfect subject, you'll cooperate with me right?" Bonnibel said while she counted the passing seconds on a pocket watch which she had also pulled from her purse "Don't answer! Three, two and…one!" she replied to herself before yanking the thermometer from Flame P's mouth.

"Blagh…! Is that really necessary?!" Flame Princess whined with a frown.

"More than you can ever imagine…" Princess Bubblegum whispered checking the device's measurement "Hmm…750 degrees Fahrenheit, that's your body temperature under normal conditions? Finn and I would be dead if our bodies ever reach that level of heat." She tossed a note book and a pencil at Finn "Write that down please."

"Ugh…okay?" the boy mumbled in confusion.

"And now…" Bubblegum whispered rubbing her hands "the second part of the experiment…Geez what's that?!" she exclaimed pointing at nothing at all of a sudden to make the teenagers turn their heads away.

Taking advantage of Flame Princess' distraction Peebles stepped backwards and then balanced her weight forward to stomp on the fiery girl's foot without any remorse.

"AUCH, WHAT THE-?!" Flame P was probably going to swear but Bubblegum jammed the thermometer into her mouth again.

"Hold it, hold it…" the candy princess ordered focusing on her watch again "Two, one, okay that's enough…!" her voice announced pulling out the device "Holy jumbler panckies! 1550 degrees Fahrenheit! Your temperature went from 750 degrees to 1550 in just two seconds, are you listening? Your body heat was raised by eight hundred degrees in one point fifty-seven seconds!"

"Yeah and now my fingers hurt!" Flame P complained rubbing her aching foot "If you do something like that again, I promise that I'll burn even hotter right in your face!"

"Even hotter? You could have raised your heat even more?! Finn, write that down as well!" Princess Bubblegum ordered with scientific excitement.

"PB, are you going to keep doing weird stuff to Flame Princess?" the human boy questioned worriedly after giving the notebook back to her.

"Well, maybe. I'm just studying fire elementals," Bubblegum replied reading Finn's notes "I hope you don't mind."

"If you keep hurting me, you'd better stay away from me…" Flame Princess warned still holding her foot.

"It wouldn't have hurt that much if you were, at least, wearing a good pair of shoes." The other princess reproached.

"I don't like to wear shoes with this dress; it's so long that no one would see them." The fire girl said stretching her long orange skirt.

Princess Bubblegum crossed her arms and shook her head slowly "Of course, I don't know how I couldn't see the logic there…" she sighted.

"What do you mean? It makes sense to me!" Finn replied tilting his head slightly.

"You are two of a kind, have ever noticed that?" Bonnibel Bubblegum wondered staring at them.

"Hey Bonnie! Stop messing around and follow me to the entrance" said Marceline who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere trailed by Peppermint Butler and Jake "Flame P, Finn. That goes for you two as well."

Finn jumped from the couch and ran to face them "What's going on Marcy?" he asked.

"We're leaving to the Lumpy Space," the vampire answered focusing her sight on Flame Princess "FP you should hurry, I heard that your father is waiting eagerly for you."

"Is something wrong with him?" the fiery girl questioned worriedly.

"Some freaks attacked him but it wasn't something serious, don't worry."

Flame Princess frowned trying to guess what happened to her father before being pulled by Finn towards the entrance along with Pep But and Jake, Marceline was about to follow them when she noticed that Bubblegum wasn't moving.

"Hey Princess, are you deaf?"

"Hehe, very funny Marceline." Princess Bubblegum muttered sarcastically "I need to talk you about Flame Princess."

The Vampire Queen's smirk faded "What? Have you found out how to save her?"

"No but, I discovered something. Her powers react to her emotions; an outburst caused by anger will surely lead her to unleash an incredible amount of energy!"

"That ain't something new…" the vampire yawned "Haven't you seen her fight before?"

"That's not the point!" Bubblegum warned "Her elemental matrix is weak, remember? If Flame Princess keeps raising her energy levels like that you can forget about the year she had left. Those outburst are extremely dangerous, each one will turn her matrix weaker and weaker until-!"

"Okay, okay! You can stop there, I get it." Marceline replied "So what's the plan? Is impossible to avoid any situation that could drive her mad if she stays with us in this journey, and we can't leave her behind just because."

"We have two options," Bonnibel began "One is to find a way to drain all that excessive energy to stabilize her elemental matrix but…"

"But?"

"But, that's impossible. There's no way to drain someone's energy just like that, it has to be released and that will consume her matrix and kill her in the process."

"Then why is that even an option?!" Marceline yelled in annoyance.

"I-I don't know, I'm tired okay?!" Bubblegum replied in the same way "The other one would be to find a way to toughen up her matrix, so that it can contain her own power under control…"

"Great, then do it!"

"Y-yeah…" Princess Bubblegum smiled nervously "But I have no idea of how to do that, I need more time and I have to do more research before I can come up with something." She sat on the couch gazing at the floor "For now it will be best if we avoid making her mad, those outbursts will surely shorten her time if we don't prevent them…"

"That won't be an easy task, especially with that masked man pissing everyone off."

"I know, I don't like how this will sound but…if things get too heavy we'll have to use these on her" the princess replied showing Marceline a small dart.

"Where did you get that thing?" the vampire inquired in surprise.

"I thought we could use them on puny enemies and stuff, they are easy to make, all I need is some simple chemicals that can be found almost everywhere. One of these will paralyze her and knock her out for about one hour."

"So you're planning to sedate her like a wild animal? Girl, you've got a nasty style, has anyone told you that?"

"Marceline please…! I already told you that I hated the idea of doing this but it's for Flame Princess' own good!" Princess Bubblegum shouted in frustration "I wish things were different…"

"Yeah…" the Vampire Queen sighed clenching the dart with her fist "Me too…"

/

"Okay everyone, into the portal please!" Peppermint Butler instructed showing the small group of tiny creatures, which consisted of Dewpians and Pagelings, the way out of the Nightosphere.

Susan jumped into the portal after them followed by Billy while the Ice King finished signing the Demon Apathy Society's petition. The blue old man returned the clipboard and made his way into the portal but his penguin didn't go after him.

"Listen buddy, you must sign too!" Cole the demon said crouching and placing the paper in front of Gunter "Please?"

"Wenk."

"Excelent! Here, hold the pen firmly and write your name on this line." The demon instructed putting the pen on the penguin's flipper.

"Wenk!" Gunter squawked letting it fall.

Cole picked it up and gave it back to him "Hold the pen firmly and write your name." he repeated.

"Wenk." The penguin said dropping it again.

"C'mon, you can do it! Just hold it tightly!"

Flame Princess stepped into the portal to join her friends on the other side, Finn was about to do the same when Jake pulled him back.

"Dude, you won't believe what I saw back there..!" the magic dog whispered "Marceline was in some kind of meeting with all the evil rulers and Pep But was there! And they treated him like if he was one of them!"

"Umm…bro, are you feeling okay? Maybe you're still dizzy from-…"

"No man! I'm serious, Peppermint Butler is really creeping me out!" Jake whined.

"Right…" Finn replied skeptically "Well you should stop focusing on Pep But and start doing something about your dame 'cause she's not doing fine, Jake." He suggested and then turned to enter in the portal.

Lady Rainicorn flew over the magical dog ignoring him completely and disappeared within the portal.

"No babe, wait!" Jake pleaded chasing her "We can work this out, whatever it is!"

Princess Bubblegum shook her head watching the poor dog run behind Lady, her loyal pet was acting really weird and she couldn't know why. She sighed; it was one more thing to add into her list of unsolved issues along with the Lich, the masked man and Flame Princess' condition.

"Hey Bonnibel, are you waiting for an invitation or what?" Marceline smirked pushing her close to the portal.

"I'm on it!" the princess replied walking inside it.

The Vampire Queen shrugged amused by Bubblegum's diminishing patience, maybe at the end of the day she won't be as sweet as everyone else supposes the sugary princess is. "Oh well…" Marceline was about to follow the pink gal when someone called her.

"Oh Marceline…! Aren´t you forgetting something?" her father's voice chuckled.

"I don't think so." She answered searching for her axe's belt on her shoulder "What the—?!"

Hunson Abadeer threw his arm behind his back and pulled out the red weapon "You have been cruel with the family's axe, when I snatched it from you it was almost broken and the metal was horribly twisted. What were you doing with it sweetie?"

"That's none of your business dad; now give me back my bass please!"

The Lord of Evil frowned and cleaned his ears "What was that? Did you just say _please_? Marceline, are you trying to abash your father? To think that-! I restored your precious lute just to aid you in your quest! How ungrateful!"

"You did what?" Marceline replied in awe walking towards him "I thought its damage was irreparable, how did you?"

"There's nothing that you daddy can't do! My powers brought the axe back to its original condition, like before you smashed it against that invisible barrier to save the boy, for example. "

The Vampire Queen flinched not knowing how her father was able to find that out but decided to remain quiet instead of starting another argument with him. Hunson simply grinned and placed the restored weapon on his daughter's hands.

"Dad this is…thank you…"

"Oh, c'mon! Any father would do something like that for his little girl!" the Lord of Evil replied grabbing her shoulders "Just promise me that you won't risk your immortality again, okay?

"Dad…" Marceline whispered removing his bluish hands off her "I'll do whatever I have to do in order to keep my friends alive, yeah I know what you're thinking, I've grown soft and stupid but I can deal with that."

"Don't worry baby, I'm kinda soft and stupid as well…in a very chaotic evil way!" Hunson Abadeer laughed pinching one of her pale cheeks.

"Dad! Stop it!" the vampire girl growled in annoyance "Listen, I have to go."

Marceline swung her beloved instrument/weapon over her shoulders and walked away while her father waved at her. A small penguin squawked frantically waddling as fast as he could to catch up with her before the portal could be closed by Death.

"Thanks a lot little guy!" the demon with the not-coffee mug shouted standing next to Hunson Abadeer.

"What, did they give you some signatures?" the Demon Lord laughed glancing at him.

"Yes they did, here, check them out!" Cole said stamping his clipboard on Hunson's face.

"Hehe, just four? Wait —is that the mark of the dark one?!" Marceline's dad exclaimed pointing a weird doodle under the first three signatures.

"What do you think about Demon Apathy Society now, huh?" Cole questioned proudly.

"Pfft! The dark one's signature is not going to make any difference, you still have only four, and I have a sandwich and a nappy waiting for me at my office, now be gone or I'll cram your mouth with a bunch of bananas!"

"No, please! I'm leaving, you see? I'm leaving!" Cole the demon shouted running away to continue with his signature quest.

/

The purple clouded landscape of the Lumpy Space was now inhabited by a crowd of smoothers from every race; many of them were aiming to find their way into the Cloud Kingdom to enjoy their last days of live dancing and drinking soda. Those who remained in the lumpy kingdom limited themselves to sit on the clouds and gaze at the Lumpy Abyss, probably debating whether to jump or not.

But even though the people of Ooo was enduring hard times there were still a few who tried their best to cheer up their spirits like the lovely couple, Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig, who were always running around the clouds providing warm apple pies to the hungry and cozy blankets to those who were cold. The future ruler of the lumpers, a certain fifteen year old teenager, was also aiding the refugees, whether they liked it or not, with made up gossips and stories of her recent heroic acts at the Candy Train station.

Meanwhile, inside L.S.P's house, the King and Queen of the Lumpy Space along with Princess Bubblegum and Billy were listening to Marceline as she explained them the Manticore's story and what happened during their last encounter with the masked man.

"The guy gave us the radar in exchange for the Manticore," the Vampire Queen said shoving the device out of her jeans' pocket "I think we all know what that guy wants, he gave us the radar expecting us to gather the last cosmic weapons while he finds out how to break the seal, then he'll unleash their power against us and steal our weapons."

"And what do you have in mind then?" the legendary hero asked catching a determinate glimmer in the vampire's eye.

"Jake and I have the scent of the Manticore, he also gave us a clue, they are heading towards the Sea of Sure Death. Instead of doing what that creep wants us to do, we should chase them and try to find the seal's secret before they do it. That's the only way of preventing the masked creep from corrupting the cosmic weapons and saving our butts."

"Then that means," Princess Bubblegum added thoughtfully "That we should be heading towards the coast…"

"And then you'll have to find someone who can lend you a ship." The Lumpy Space King commented "But that will be a hard task since the people from the coasts runaway into the ocean searching for shelter in the isles, it's probable that every ship in Ooo had already departed by now!"

"I know a place!" Mannish Man announced walking into the living room "Just let me check in my viewing globe, maybe it was destroyed after the Lich's last attack…"

The Minotaur led everyone into the kitchen and placed his crystal ball on the table, the image of the wrecked land of Ooo appeared within it, the place had been already taken by the Lich's undead hordes and his gigantic silhouette rested silently in the horizon.

"W-what's he doing?" the Lumpy Space Queen asked nervously.

"Waiting for Finn and the others…" Mannish answered grimly "Let's scan the coast area; I just hope that- yes! Look guys, near the Chicken Blood Cove, the Old Peg leg's tavern hehe!"

A slightly demolished building sitting next to the grayish sea appeared in the Minotaur's viewing globe surrounded by five fancy-looking ships.

"There ya go me mateys!" Mannish laughed proudly "Just walk into that bar and ask some captain for help!"

"Yeah, they'll probably ask for money and we still have some cash from Lemongrab's pocket," Marceline stated with confidence "It's done then, let's go to the ocean!"

/

"The ocean?!" Finn yelled in terror after listen to Marceline's plan "Why?!"

"Because we are running out of options, weenie!" she replied losing her patience "Now stop whining and call your girlfriend 'cause we're leaving!"

Marceline finished the phrase and left the poor human boy shivering on a corner; it was his worst nightmare coming true. Finn couldn't even glimpse the ocean without freaking out, what was he supposed to do?

Flambo's laugher drove him out of his thoughts, the little flambit was telling Flame Princess' how he managed to save her father all by himself. Finn wasn't the kind of guy who could understand royal hierarchy stuff easily even though Princess Bubblegum tried to explain him about it once; apparently some crazy Flame P's relatives were planning to kill the Flame King in order to obtain the crown but they weren't expecting the Lich's sudden attack and their plan failed.

"Your cousins were all "Let'sss kill him while he keepsss crying over his dauther'sss lantern!" and I was like "In your dreams, freaks!" hehe—auch!" Flambo moaned painfully.

The Flame King smacked the flambit angrily "Don't pay attention to his version of the story," the king said staring at his daughter "The truth is that those traitors tripped over the flambit and fell inside the lantern were I locked them up, I'll make sure that they receive the punishment they deserve one of these days!"

"Father, I have no idea of what you are talking about. I didn't even know about those cousins…" Flame Princess replied, the confusion was clearly visible on her face.

"That doesn't matter now; Furnace and Torcho are a part of the family's history that should be forgotten, what does matter is that we preserve our royal bloodline in the place where it belongs, and that place is at the Fire Kingdom's throne!" Flame King exclaimed with determination "I had to make some, ugh…sacrifices, to achieve our position and I'm not planning to lose it!"

"Well, good luck with that." The fiery girl said keeping in mind that at that moment there was no Fire Kingdom to rule since everything was consumed by the Lich "Tell me if I can help you with something…"

Flame Princess smiled and turned around to leave with Finn but her father grabbed her hand before she could make a single step away from him.

"Actually you have an important role in this subject as my daughter and only heir!" the Flame King clarified, "Before I die, I want you to-…" he stopped to glance at Finn "Are you really planning to keep that knave at your side?"

The young princess grinned nervously "Yeah…?" she shrugged "Why?"

Her father frowned and sighed in resignation "It seems that I have no choice, seeing how hopeless our situation is and knowing that its just matter of time before the Lich assaults this kingdom killing us all, I'm forced to grant that knave a proper title…"

"Excuse me…" Finn gulped "What?"

"Finn the Knave, I now grant you the title of Prince consort of the Fire Kingdom!" the Flame King announced with his booming voice.

"WHAT?!" Flame Princess, Flambo and of course, the new Prince shouted in disbelief.

"And don't try to reject the title knave, it's done now!" the flaming monarch warned "If by any chance you happen to marry my daughter I'll need you to have, at least, a good rank to be part of the royal family…It was also necessary to preserve the purity of our bloodline, I don't want my future heirs to be considered as knaves by the parliament, is that clear?"

"Future heirs?" Flambo chuckled "Aren't yous taking things too fast, I bet that the poor guy and your daughter have no idea of what you're talking about!"

"Be quiet, I'm just assuring our position in the royal family…" the Flame King said walking around the purple clouds of the lumpy space "Finn, I need you to promise that you and my daughter will give me descendants in the future. I want lots of grandsons, understood?"

The young hero and Princess' faces blushed beyond the imaginable, they were probably still in shock after the king's weird statements, so they just walked away without articulating a single word.

Flambo sighed shaking his head "Good job majesty, you have probably caused some kind of trauma on them…"

"Didn't I order you be quiet?!"

/

The sound of an accordion playing out of tune filled the ears of every drunken man that remained at the wrecked bar, some lied unconscious on the floor while others were sitting on the broken chairs staring unresponsively at nothing. If those men were sailors or not, Billy just couldn't tell.

The gang had arrived at the Chicken Blood Cove three hours ago on Lady Rainicorn's back, the legendary hero grabbed the list of "trustable" captains that Mannish Man gave them before leaving the Lumpy Space Kingdom and started looking for them while the rest of the gang rested at the bar's tables.

Marceline bought herself a drink and played a soft tune on her bass, her feet were resting over the table in the same way her father did some hours ago. Lady Rainicorn left the bar shortly after their arrival because she was having a terrible headache and she couldn't stand the place's environment, the magical dog grew tired of chasing her and was now focusing on another game of poker with Princess Bubblegum, Susan and the Ice King.

"_I used to be a sailor, who sailed across the seas…_

_But now I'm just an island, since they took my boat, _

_away from me…Oh no…"_

The vampire sang stroking the strings of her bass slowly; she was missing its sound. Flame Princess stared at her not really paying attention to the song's lyrics; her chin was resting on her crossed arms while she leaned on the table. The young princess was still feeling embarrassed because of her father and she hoped that his words hadn't bothered Finn; after all, he said that he was born to be an adventurer and it was obvious that he wasn't comfortable with the title of Prince of the Fire Kingdom.

"Is it bad to hate your own father?" Flame P whispered quietly.

"Nah…fathers sometimes deserve to be hated…" Marceline answered still focused on the melody of her song.

Finn sighed heavily staring at a bull's eye on the wall and threw one of the small darts that were placed on the table next to him scoring ten points. The boy couldn't believe that he was a prince now and wondered if he should tell Jake about it. He closed his eye aiming at the center of the target; the sound of the waves crashing outside made him fail again. Of all the places in Ooo, why did that Manticore have to choose an island in the middle of the ocean to hide the seal's secret?

He scored thirty points, maybe he was the most unlucky guy in the world, everything was happening so fast that Finn was starting to feeling terribly anxious. The undesired title of Prince, having to deal with his greatest fear, the masked man planning to corrupt the only weapons that can stop the Lich and, oh yeah, the Lich King himself… Finn's life sucked.

His blue eyes drifted towards the photo that Jake gave him, Finn had placed it on the table hoping that it would give him some relief; things were easier when he was just a buff baby. Finn lifted the picture smiling at the puppy Jake in the picture, his best friend in the world was also his brother, well isn't that called luck? He played with the photo for a while and noticed the reflection of Flame Princess in the glass.

"_I don't care what happens after we leave this place just as long as we're together."_

If knowing that your crush is also in love with you isn't luck, then what is it? The human boy sighed staring at her image, she was right, problems didn't matter as long as she stayed by his side and had to let her know. Finn got up from his chair, grabbed the last dart, threw it without aiming and scored one hundred points; he was luckiest guy in the world just because of having her.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Finn asked sitting next to the fire princess.

"I don't know…you tell me…" she replied feeling uncertain.

He pulled her close and kissed her cheek affectionately "How about now?" the boy whispered blushing faintly.

"That's better…" the young princess answered snuggling into his arms.

Marceline turned her eyes away pretending that she wasn't observing the sweet scene that was taking place right beside her and noticed that Billy had just entered in the bar "Hey froggy!" she shouted loudly with all the intention of making Finn and Flame Princess snap out of their little perfect world and focusing back on the mission "Have you find us a ship?!"

"No…" the tall orange-haired man replied dryly pulling a chair for himself "Five sailors and all of them are about to leave harbor with their own crew, not to mention that none of them wants to chase a potentially deadly guy across the ocean."

"What about this Captain K'nuckles?" the vampire questioned pointing one of the names on the list "Mannish Man said that he was up to adventures n' stuff…"

"That guy is addicted to candy and I don't want to put Princess Bubblegum in an uncomfortable situation." Billy replied rubbing his brow tiredly "Besides, the other sailors say that he's a good-for-nothing liar."

"So…we're out of options…" Marceline sighed giving up.

"Not exactly…" the legendary hero smirked "I couldn't find any "trustable" captain from the list, but I found someone who's desperate for a crew."

"Hold on!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed from her table "Are you suggesting that we are going rely on some sea rat that just popped in your way?!"

"Well he's the only one willing to take us with him." Billy shrugged.

"A captain who's desperate for a crew and a crew who's desperate for a captain…" Jake said calmly "Maybe destiny has something to do with this; I say that we should give him a chance!"

/

"The name's Captain Nemo!" An old man with a yellow and tattered coat exclaimed drowsily, "Not like the…little fishy but, argh, like the famous antihero from the ancient books…!"

The gang stood at the dock staring at the weird man as if he was some kind of freak, he was tall and even though he was old, his body looked pretty sturdy and muscular. Perhaps in his good old days he was an avid seafarer and maybe he wasn't such a lame option after all.

Captain Nemo took off his hat revealing his shiny bald head and bowed clumsily before them, he had a short white beard and mustache, his eyes were small or just too squinted because the old guy was also farsighted. His grayish skin was covered with all kinds of nautical tattoos and scars from his past adventures.

"So you are the bunch of the landlubbers that want to join my crew…" he spat stumbling towards them "That's good news, argh, nobody wanted to board Nemo's ship you know?"

"I think this guy is drunk…" the Ice King whispered.

"Let me check…" Marceline replied "Hey Captain, where's your ship?!"

"My ship's right here!" the strange man answered leaning towards a magnificent craft with white sails and the figure of an unknown beautiful woman craved on its bowsprit.

If he wouldn't have been drunk, Nemo would have noticed that there was a great length of space between his ship and the dock and he wouldn't have fallen into the ocean with a loud splash.

"Yep…" the Vampire Queen confirmed "He's drunk."

If only the sky wasn't cursed, a beautiful sunset would have said goodbye to the departing ships that were sailing away from the cove... Except for the gang's ship which was still in the harbor. Billy had to jump into the ocean to save his new captain from drowning while the others watched from the dock.

Finn's knees were shivering, he couldn't believe that he was about to board a ship and set course into the vast immensity of _the ocean._ "It's okay," he mumbled to himself while he walked into the ship's main deck "Just imagine that this is a simple lake, or a small and nice pond."

"Whoa, look at that…!" Flame Princess exclaimed dashing towards the forecastle "I've never seen so much water in my life, the ocean is humongous…! It's incredible, so wide and large…I can't even see where it ends!"

The human boy slapped his face.

After Billy dragged the wet Captain into his ship the old man announced their departure "Alright landlubbers, welcome aboard of the S.S. Thalassa! Your green friend told me that you were searching for some good treasure and that's why I accepted to help you!"

"Psst! What's he talking about?" Bubblegum asked quietly.

"I already told you that no one wants to chase a deadly guy across the sea," Billy replied "So I lied…"

"Oh, my…"

With the white sails unfurled and the anchor lifted, Captain Nemo was ready to start a new (and made up) journey with his new crew of adventures. Dusk was already covering the ocean when the S.S. Thalassa began to drift away from the coast and the heroes-to-be, except for Finn, leaned against the wooden handrail of the poop deck while their eyes were losing sight of the shore.

"Jake!" the voice of Lady Rainicorn was heard from the dock, her colorful body was barely visible in the darkness "전에 말 못해서 미안!"

"What?!" Jake shouted back "I'm sorry babe, can't hear you from here!"

"Jake, 나는 …!" Lady took a deep breath and shouted as hard as her lungs let her "I AM PREGNANT!"

Lady saw the magical dog's golden body falling from the ship and splashing into the sea as his friends freaked out joyfully and Billy jumped into the cold waters once again to save the fainted mutt from drowning, she floated around giggling at her boyfrend's reaction and flew back to the Lumpy Space Kingdom feeling relieved for letting those news finally out of her heart.

* * *

**Author note's:**

I don't know why I feel that this chapter was somewhat weird...anyway, thanks for the nice reviews people! Your comments help the authors stay inspired, never forget that :)

Good news, my laptop is supposed to be ready for this Friday so hopefully next week the updates will be back on Tuesdays!

I think that's all, again thanks for your patience and see you next week!


	33. Crouching Hydra, Hidden Courage! Part I

Tale 33: Crouching Hydra, Hidden Courage! Part I

* * *

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."  
-Lao Tzu-

* * *

The unconscious magical dog was carried downstairs and into the ship's kitchen, which by the way, was almost totally empty except for a small wooden table surrounded by stools, a rusty stove and some board boxes loaded with vegetables (or so they hoped).

Billy placed Jake on the table and stared at him with a puzzled look "Should we wake him up?" he asked scratching his orange beard.

The Captain, who had showed him the way into the kitchen, nodded and the legendary hero proceeded to shake the dog in an attempt to make him react. When that failed, the green man sighed lazily and walked towards a barrel that was placed in one corner, with a small cup, which he found over one of the many stacked boxes; Billy scooped some fresh water and then poured it in Jake's face.

The golden bulldog remained unconscious, was becoming a father such a stunning idea? Captain Nemo pushed Billy away and kicked one of the boxes to reveal its content, hundreds of rum bottles rolled across the ship's floor causing the legendary hero to exhale a startled gasp; he could only hope that the other boxes weren't filled with rum.

Nemo picked one of the bottles and removed its cork with his teeth, then he leaned over Jake poured a good amount of liquor inside his nose causing the magical dog to leap towards the ceiling with a noisy whine and run around the kitchen feeling his nose burn from the inside.

The Captain smiled for himself and kissed the bottle "Rum, what would a man do without ya?" and after saying that he chugged the rest of his drink.

Outside on the main deck, the rest of the gang witnessed how the darkness covered the heavens and spread around them, there was no moon or stars to fill the empty firmament but at least the S.S. Thalassa covered the obscure waving ocean beneath it with its warm lights shinning through small windows along the hull.

Finn stared at Susan with a hint of jealousy, she was leaning over the wooden rail to watch the small lights glimmering in the cold waters as if the stars had fallen from the night sky into the sea, she wasn't afraid of the ocean even if this was the first time she actually sees it. Usually the hyooman would have reacted surprised or scared by the things that were unknown to her, like when she tried to attack the Candy Train, but this time was different.

This fact couldn't be ignored by the human boy who decided to abandon his comfort zone (hugging the mast like a koala bear) and approached to the tall woman tiptoeing along the crackling planks of the deck as if these were going to give way before his weight letting him fall into the ocean. Cautiously Finn stretched his arm towards the rail and pulled himself next to Susan Strong.

"H-hey Sssusan, aren't you impressed by the ocean?" the boy asked trying to ignore the sound of the waves crashing against the ship's keel.

"No. Susan feels comfortable in ship and the ocean's smell brings good feelings back…" the hyooman replied still focused on the dark waters.

"Back?" Finn wondered raising an eyebrow "How come-? Sue, have you seen the ocean before?"

Susan turned back at him and smiled "Susan dreams with oceans all the time…"

After giving Finn her unconcluded answer the hyooman yawned and leaved the main deck mumbling something about being hungry and sleepy. The young hero followed her with his blue eyes until she disappeared downstairs; he then fixed his sight on the horizon trying to avoid glimpsing the great mass of saltwater around the ship.

"Okay maybe…this isn't so bad…" the human boy whispered closing eyes to feel the ocean breeze caressing his cheeks.

"What isn't bad?" the Marceline's voice intrigued as she descended from the crow's nest slowly "Is something making you nervous?"

"Ha! What? Of course not!" Finn answered placing his fists on his hips with pride "There's nothing to be afraid of, it's just a-…"

A wave rose splashing the ship's bow and a few drops landed on the boy's face causing him to throw himself backwards yelling in terror and collapse on the floor curling his body into a ball of nerves.

"Pfft! Finn, are you afraid of the water or what?" the Vampire Queen chuckled floating over him.

"Nah, he's just scared of the ocean…" the Ice King murmured from the other side of the deck "I know, I used to spy Finn and Jake while I was trying to win their friendship."

"Oh yeah, I remember it now! Jake said that you were working on it, but it seems that you haven't done a good job weenie…!" the vampire laughed, she found out about Finn's fear the night when everything began, Marceline would have never imagined that they would end up sailing the seas that "-ber night."

Upon listening to this, the young hero jumped making a back flip and pointed the Ice King with his index finger angrily "I already overcame all my fears, including the ocean!"

"Listen boy, we all know that's not true…" the blue wizard replied confidently "Last night I heard you whining in your sleep, you were all "Oh no, not the ocean! Don't let it touch me! Jake, mommy, save me!" and then you started snoring quite loudly mister!"

Finn gritted his teeth getting ready to lunge over the Ice King but before he could even touch his blue tunic, Billy climbed the stairs followed by Jake. The rage was immediately replaced by excitement and the human boy ran happily towards his brother.

"Are you feeling better now?" asked Finn facing the dog "Man you must have been very worried about Lady's sickness…"

"Sickness?!" Jake exclaimed at his confused brother's face "Being pregnant is not an illness, it means-…"

"That Lady's gonna have his babies!" Marceline explained floating upside-down between them "That is, if they _are_ his babies…Right daddy?"

"What?! Of course they are mine!" the magical yelled with embarrassment letting his face turn red as the vampire's boots.

The shouting attracted the other members of the gang and soon Jake was surrounded by a bunch of grinning faces that made him blush even more except for Finn who looked more confused than anything.

"So Jake's going to become a father? Holy stuff bro, that's rhombus!" the young hero cheered shaking the dog back and forth in excitement "So, when a lady is pregnant it means that she's carrying babies inside her body?" he wondered rubbing his chin "But Jake, how the flip did you get babies inside Lady?"

Jake's face reddened again "Dude don't-…! We've talked about this before remember? I'll explain it to you later!"

"Oh yeah, I remember!" Finn said, "You hit tier fifteen with Lady! But…no, I'm more confused than before, wasn't that step forbidden or somethin-…?" Jake's paw covered his mouth before he could continue embarrassing him.

"Do you know what _later_ means?" the bulldog questioned frowning at the ridiculously naïve fourteen-year old boy.

"Okay, okay. That's enough of _the _subject for now!" Princess Bubblegum giggled pushing the two brothers apart "We have to focus on our mission, remember?"

"Wenk." Gunter replied.

"Marceline, you were the one who brought us here so tell us what are we supposed to do now." Bubblegum instructed once everyone stopped laughing at Jake.

"Well, first of all we have to get rid of the Captain since he doesn't even know what he just got in…"

"Right but you're not going to kill him, drink his blood or anything weird, okay?" the Princess said before the vampire could finish speaking.

"I wasn't going to-! Dang it Bonnibel, it's been months since the last time I drank a good sip of blood!" Marceline complained crossing her arms.

"Exactly, that's why I'm warning you!" Bubblegum shouted worriedly "Your tolerance to color must have been diminished by now, I suggest you to catch a fish or something before you start attacking people, and by people I mean us!"

"Fine…!" Marceline growled "What are you planning to do with our captain then? Tie him up and throw him into the ocean?"

"Locking him with the cargo will be more than enough…" Billy replied staring at the two girls tiredly "The guy's so drunk that he'll probably forget who we are tomorrow. Right now he's sleeping on the kitchen's floor, let's just grab him."

"Just one thing…" Flame Princess said worriedly "Before you guys capture the captain and all that…does anyone know how to drive a ship?"

"Sure, it's simple mechanics…I think…" Princess Bubblegum answered, "All we have to do is use the wind and the helm to steer the ship, it must be easy."

"Why can't we just let the Captain steer it? That would be safer!" Finn replied grinning nervously.

"Safer? Finn, since when are you worried about things being safe or not? I thought you were an intrepid adventurer!" the pink princess inquired in amusement.

"Finn's afraid of the ocean!" the Ice King accused pointing the boy.

"Of the ocean? But Finn is a water elemental, how can he be-…?"

"The question is," the human boy interrupted facing the confused fire elemental "how can't **you **be afraid of it?!"

"Oh…I could be scared…if were falling into it, but normally I'm not afraid of water. I mean… you guys can watch a campfire without being scared of it, right? Well it's the same thing for me, besides… I think the ocean is beautiful…"

"Aw great, Susan isn't scared of the ocean and Flame P thinks it is beautiful!" the young human moaned in annoyance "Why isn't anyone else afraid of…of the ocean?!"

"Maybe because it's not normal to be scared of it?" the Vampire Queen shrugged before biting a fish that she had just captured and sucking its blood "Man, this sucks…" the vampire complained tossing the dead creature into the sea.

"The weird lady is right," Captain Nemo replied stumbling towards the boy, he must have left the kitchen a while ago "there's no need to be afraid of something so powerful and magnificent as the ocean, young lad."

The old sailor grabbed Finn by the arm and dragged him through the deck while he complained and whined fearfully, Nemo pushed the boy against the wooden rail and stretched his arm towards the horizon.

"If the ocean was a beautiful woman, I would marry her…and I almost did…"

Finn noticed that the drunk man looked rather nostalgic as his tired eyes gazed at the sea "What do you mean?" the young hero asked with curiosity after regaining some of his inner calm.

"You see the figure that's carved on the bowsprit? That's Thalassa, goddess of the sea…once when I was a young adventurer like you I met her and we fell in love, but because of my stupid, argh, brother's jealousy she was cursed…. Because of it, Thalassa took the form of a treacherous sea monster and I never got to see her again…"

The seafarer continued to gaze the dark waters lost in thought, his watery eyes following ghosts of the past as they danced amongst the waves.

"Geez…I'm sorry to hear that Captain…" the young hero whispered sorrowfully but there was no response from the old sailor "Captain?" Finn turned his head and found the old man snoring over the ship's rail "Nemo!"

"Wh-wha?! Anchors a weight! Unfurl the sails! Bring the-…the…" Captain Nemo fell asleep again.

"We have to do something about this drunk man…" Finn whispered scratching the back of his head exhaustedly.

/

They laid the sleepy man on his bed, the captain's room was supposed to be a forbidden place for the crew but since he was unconscious, erm, drunk they just walked inside the messy chamber and tied him up on his bed. Watching the old man sleep peacefully made everyone on board drowsy so, after rummaging curiously among the many nautical maps and treasures that were scattered around the floor, the eight heroes-to-be left the room.

Walking across the lower deck the gang searched for the crew's bunks longing eagerly to put an end to a long day filled with tyrannical cuties, miniature dungeons, giant snakes, toads, Manticores, Liches and meetings with some unexpected news. Sadly for our heroes, when they pushed the door that was supposed to lead them into their heavenly bedroom what they found inside wasn't exactly the Candy Train's luxury bunks.

It was an empty room that looked more like a barn because the wooden floor was covered with hay and there was a lonely goat chewing some of it in a corner. Some empty bottles, presumably of rum, rolled from one side to the other with the balancing motion of the waves. The goat raised its ears listening to the approaching visitors and turned around slowly to bleat at them, I don't need to say that some of them (female, tall and made of bubblegum) were on the verge of fainting at the mere sight of the place that was destined to be their permanent dormitory from now on.

And then, lightened by the younger princess' flames, three glorious hammocks suspended over the cold floor were swinging softly along with the sound of angelic choirs singing hallelujah. They waited three seconds not daring to move a muscle; their tiered eyes were fixed on the old hammocks… Who will earn the privilege of resting their aching backs over one of those hanging beds? Well, the answer is simple…

"Law of the jungle!" Jake shouted as he dashed forward followed closely by his teammates.

No one reached the hammocks; they were too busy holding each other's legs, biting their arms, pulling their hairs and pushing their backs. The goat stared at her new roommates for awhile being curious because of the sudden commotion that was taking place before her, but she soon grew tired of watching them fight and focused on more important things like chewing straw.

Gunter wasn't in the middle of the fuss, no, this time the little penguin was smarter than the big guys. He sneaked behind them cautiously waddling with extreme precision trying to be unnoticed, if the law of the jungle was going to rule aboard the S.S. Thalassa then the aquatic bird was on his right to claim one of those comfortable (well at least better than sleeping on the floor with a goat) beds for himself if he managed to reach it before the others.

Gunter's flipper was so close, the black and white bird just needed to make one more step forward and the hammock would be in his possession, but the penguin's dream vanished just as the Ice King gasped in astonishment.

"You little traitor, how dare you?!"

That was when everyone's fierce stares locked the penguin as their next target.

"Wenk?" Gunter squawked nervously while he walked away from the hammock in the hopes of being forgiven by them.

The wild riot fell over him and lasted five more minutes until Princess Bubblegum rose from the unnecessary dogfight covered with sweat, her hair made a mess of straw and some kind of disgusting filth, which source she didn't even wish to figure out.

"I had enough!" Bubblegum yelled stumbling weakly before her friends "It's been an awful day for me…believe me…" she panted, "My body sores, I'm tired, I'm hungry and now… I don't give a flip about sleeping over stinky hay and goat crap! So if you excuse me…"

"Great, can I take her hammock then?" the Vampire Queen asked carefreely.

"Marceline!" Finn replied slightly annoyed "We should let the girls rest comfortably…" he sighed.

"Nice, just one problem little knight in shinning armor…" the vampire said floating over the exhausted human boy "We are four and there are only three hammocks, can you make the math there?"

"Yeah but you, damsel in distress, can surely levitate comfortably…" the young hero answered elbowing his brother "Am I right Jake?"

"Yes you are, my noble Quixote…!" the magical dog replied with confidence "Marceline you don't even touch your bed when you're sleeping."

"Oh yes…!" said gal laughed slapping her forehead "My brain must be exhausted as well, what I need is to forget about all this issues for one night," Marceline explained walking perpendicularly along the ship's wall while she made her way towards the ceiling "Sleep well me hearties 'cause tomorrow we'll be chasing that masked guy through out the seven seas if we need to…!"

The vampire suspended herself on the ceiling and stretched her arms downwards with a lazy yawn; she was mentally annoyed for being sleepy at night. This journey had given her some kind of vampiric jet lag.

Meanwhile the guys pushed the hay together to form some stinky, but actually cozy, nests where they were planning lie till sunrise while the rest of the girls stared at them uncertainly.

"Are you sure about this?" Princess Bubblegum asked with a troubled look "It doesn't seem fair, maybe we can come up with some kind of raffle…" the two other gals nodded.

"Nah, it's okay…let the gentlemen do the hard work!" Jake exclaimed stretching his arm to make it look strong and muscular.

"Hard work, yeah!" the Ice King cried folding up his tunic sleeves to show his skinny blue arms and tried to flex his "muscles" like Jake "You love me now Princess?"

Bubblegum bit her lip "Umm…no Ice King."

"Aw c'mon, what do I have to do to get a princess-…!" the wizard stopped his yelling to stare at Finn and quickly snatched his backpack and his hat, he put them on to continue with his blathering "There, please love me now princesses!"

"Dude give me back my stuff!" the human shouted trying to pull his green bag off the Ice King's shoulders angrily.

"No…! I need them to be _princessively_ attractive!" the Ice King yelled back struggling to walk away from his attacker while this one pulled the bag backwards.

Neither one was able to notice that Finn's backpack was being stretched more than its cloth material could take, the stitches that kept the shoulder straps on their place were suddenly unpicked causing its owner to slip and fall backwards with the bag in his hands. Finn rolled on his back letting go of the round backpack, which moaned mysteriously when it hit the ground.

"Finn…I think that your bag just…groaned…" Flame Princess whispered carefully getting closer to said object and picked it up with a quick movement.

A green videogame console fell from it mumbling something about being uncovered before planned.

"Be-Beemo? What are you doing here?" the human questioned walking next to the fire elemental "I told to stay with L.S.P and to take care of Neptr!"

"Man, Beemo my friend you shouldn't have come…!" Jake added stretching to the scene "We are dealing with pretty dangerous biz here, buddy."

"That's why I decided to join you guys, I have to protect Finn from the bad guys!" BMO replied clenching his small fists "And also to comfort him, when I heard that you were heading to the ocean I sensed that he'd need me…! The ocean freaks Finn out and you know it Jake…!"

"Oh please not again…" the human boy pleaded "It's okay Beemo, I have it under control. This time the ocean won't-…"

A big random wave hit the ship pushing it to the left and caused everyone to lose their balance and slide down against their will, situation that managed to trigger another fear attack on Finn who began to twitch and writhe in panic.

"You see?" Beemo pointed with a satisfied grin, "Finn needs to hear his favorite song to regain his composure" and with that, the small robot pressed one of his buttons to play a nursery song.

"_Three baby spiders._ _Three bitty baby spiders._

_Were playing in the sun._ _The rain came down and it was no fun._

_Cry cry cry cry goo ga goo._ _Oh me, oh my eyes are raining too..."_

Jake began to hum along remembering when his brother was two-years old while Flame Princess giggled at the lyrics.

"That's Finn's favorite song?" she chuckled trying to drown her laughter by covering her mouth.

"So it seems, poor baby Finn needs his baby song to stop being afraid of the big bad ocean…!"

"That's not…!" the young hero cried in annoyance "I used to like it only when I was two! Stop bothering me!"

"Marceline, guys! Please, stop making noise!" Princess Bubblegum complained already curled in one hammock "I trying to get some sleep, thank you."

/

Some minutes later the gang was finally silenced by their own sleep, curling on the meshed hanging beds or nestling in hay mounds the heroes-to-be closed their eyes and let the sea rock them to dreamland. Jake snored placidly while the Ice King and Gunter did the same, heck even Billy decided to nap this time. A long day of crazy and stressful events had certainly drained their energy and nothing is wiser than taking a good deserved rest.

But Finn couldn't keep his eyes closed; he turned from one side to the other feeling terribly uneasy. Was this happening because he knew that the ocean was right beneath the wooden planks were his body was lying? Not even Finn himself was able to believe the magnitude of his own fear; he rubbed his eyelids with his knuckles and stared at the ceiling. Leaving aside Jake's, Ice King's and Billy's snores the only sounds the boy could perceive were the soft breathings of the girls not very far from him, the old wood cracking with the ship's movement and…the ocean.

"Dang it…!" Finn muttered leaning his back against the wall and crossing his arms, he wasn't going to sleep this night but that didn't mean that he wanted Beemo to play the "Three Baby Spiders" song again. Or maybe he did?

"Are you feeling afraid?" Flame P's voice asked quietly from the other side of room. She was resting her head on her crossed arms and was rocking herself by swinging her leg back and forth out of the hammock.

"Why are you still awake?" the boy whispered curiously, the fiery princess just shrugged "Well…yeah…I'm scared…"

"I never thought that something could scare you in that way, you always looked so, you know, fearless…" Flame Princess replied "Why the ocean? You never seemed afraid of lakes or rivers…"

"To tell the truth I've got no idea, I never knew that I was afraid of it until I tried to chase a fire newt into the sea for stealing a pair of boots…Jake says it's an irrational fear…" Finn stared at the sleeping dog for a while and then turned to catch a glimpse of the princess yawning, "Do you have any irrational fears?"

The human scolded himself mentally for keeping Flame P awake knowing that she, in contrast with him, was falling asleep, but he needed desperately to distract his worried mind with some talking and he was sure that Flame Princess wasn't going to be bothered by that.

"I'm not sure, since I spend my whole life locked up surrounded by guards and walls all day non-stop, there wasn't really anything I could be afraid of…" the girl answered softly "But when I was finally free I think that…I slowly grew scared by the idea of being locked again…"

Finn chuckled silently "That ain't irrational, your fear is totally justified not like mine…maybe I'm not destined to become a hero after all…if I can't overcome my fear…" He remembered the words of the Fear Fester "I'm never going to be a true hero…"

"That can't be possible…" the fiery princess replied with a smile, clearly visible in the darkness thanks to her own glow "If that was true, then that means that we'll never beat the Lich and that's not how our story is supposed to end…You just have to…be brave…'cause what would be the point of all our effort if you're planning to give up in the end."

"How can I be brave when I'm scared?"

"If I fell into the ocean…will you jump after me to save my life?"

Finn didn't even have to think in an answer, that was an unnecessary question which answer will always be…

"Heck Flame P, of course I'd jump after you!" the young hero couldn't help to feel a little offended by that. He was surely going to save anyone who was at the verge of death no matter what, plus if that person is his girlfriend, there's no doubt he'd do it.

"Even if you are completely terrified?" she replied firmly.

Terrified of the ocean, Finn had gone through that once with Jake, but in the end he only knocked himself out to avoid the fear and reach his brother. Although he hated to admit it, the Fear Fester was right…he never really confronted his fear that day… And if something like that happened to Flame Princess, the same method wasn't going to save her…she'd be extinguished once her flames touch the water.

"Finn?" Flame P called "Wh-why is taking you so long to answer? You're making me nervous…"

"I…" the boy gulped "I'll go after you, even if I'm terrified…"

Flame Princess sighed in relief "It's good to know that…just in case, don't you think?" she smiled again facing the ceiling "You have to be afraid to be brave, if you jump after me even if you're terrified, then you'll be confronting your fear and that's what being brave means…" the fiery girl fixed her gaze back at Finn "Will you promise me that you'll be brave, Finn?"

"Yeah…!" the young hero grinned feeling more relaxed "I swear…"

"That's great…" she whispered curling in the hammock "Cause tomorrow you'll sink one finger into the ocean…"

"T-tomorrow?!"

"You just swore…!" Flame Princess replied triumphantly.

Finn bit his lip trying to process what he just did "Okay, fine…" he replied feeling his eyelids closing slowly "Hey Flame P…" the boy whispered falling asleep.

"Huh?"

"Thanks…" his voice trailed off along with his consciousness.

"Yeah, right…" she replied already immersed in her own dreamscape.

/

"_**Hehe…hehe!"**_

Finn opened his eyes at the sound of a familiar and annoying laughter, he pushed himself back against the wall and scratched his eye searching for the source of the chortling. Everyone was sleeping deeply except for the goat, which was pulling and chewing the Ice King's hair in delight.

"Weird…" the human breathed looking around "It must have been my imagination…"

He tried to go back to sleep but an itching sensation began to burn his guts, Finn rubbed his stomach trying to make it stop but it was useless. Hoping that the itching wasn't caused by some allergic reaction towards the straw, the goat or even the ocean he lifted his shirt and stared at his belly.

"_**Hehehe…!" **_a gaseous being with a black mustache and greyish pupil-less eyes was puffed out of the human's navel _**"You never cease to surprise me…!"**_

"Aw, man! Not you again!" Finn muttered frowning at the dark entity "Get lost…I'm trying to sleep…"

"_**Oh please, I'm having so much fun watching you whine like a baby the whole day…!" **_the manifestation of fear laughed _**"Just look at you, the great hero of Ooo and Prince consort of the Fire Kingdom…making promises that he won't fulfill, hahaha! How amusing…!"**_

"Shut your face dude!" the human boy replied fiercely "You can't twist my mind with your stupid words!"

"_**But I have no need of doing that, your mind is already twisted enough to turn you into a liar…Prince…"**_ the Fear Feaster teased viciously _**"You and I know well that you wouldn't dare to jump into the ocean…"**_ the dark spirit floated around Finn staring into his blue eyes _**"You are not that brave…" **_

In a sudden outburst of rage Finn searched for his sword's hilt in the darkness and slashed the Fear Feaster causing its distorted gaseous figure to dissipate, the being didn't groan in pain like the boy expected him to do. Instead, the manifestation of his fear laughed expanding itself around the human's field of vision.

"_**Let's give your bravery a try, shall we?"**_

Finn gritted his teeth turning his head down in an attempt to escape from the thick cloud of smoke and wished to have raised his gaze instead of staring at the floor. The planks were he was lying disappeared revealing the roaring ocean beneath them; the boy immediately drew his body back hitting the wall behind him. His pulse raised, his heart started to pump blood through his veins carrying the crimson liquid towards his legs while his cheeks turned heavily pale.

"Are you mad dirtbag?!" Finn yelled anxiously.

"_**What are you waiting for… **_**hero**_**?" **_ The Fear Feaster said mirthfully _**"Won't you even dare to look down? Hehe…!"**_

The boy's eyes rolled down glancing at the furious waves causing him to clench his eyelids closed "That's math!" Finn yelped pushing himself back.

"_**Heh…! Some hero…"**_ the black ghost sneered, _**"What if your brother or your precious girlfriend were drowning down there? What if any of your friends needed you?! Oh wait, I know the answer! You'll knock your self out to drown with them…! Hahaha!"**_

"NO!" Finn screamed struggling to walk forward but his body was paralyzed by fear.

"_**Let me give you a hand, hero!"**_ Fear Feaster chuckled letting Finn fall into the sea while he screamed frantically _**"Remember my words human, you'll never be a great hero…!"**_

"No!" the human boy woke up abruptly from his nightmare panting heavily, he felt hot inside, sweat and tears were streaming down his pale face.

Finn removed his hat trying to escape from the choking sensation that was obstructing his throat and combed his sticky bangs away from his eyes using his quivering fingers. With a nervous sigh the young hero rested his back on the wall and scanned his surroundings, everyone was okay and the waves were soothingly calmed.

"Jem…jeam…" Jake babbled next to him "Chuchito…not on the carpet Chuchito…Junior don't touch my viola, you'll break it! ..." The magical dog kicked the air and turned to the other side "Lalita…eat your soup please…no, don't jump on the couch kids…go bother your…uncle…"

Finn smiled watching his brother sleep and felt a sudden urge of talking with him "Jake…Jake…" he whispered pocking the bulldog's belly "Wake up please…"

"Yes Lady, I lov-…huh?" Jake opened one eye and the closed it to open the other "Are we there yet?"

"There where, Jake? Snap out of it, bro!" the boy shouted silently slapping the dog.

"Oh…hi Finn…" Jake yawned scratching his head "What's up? Can't sleep?"

The young hero wrapped his arms around his legs "I'm trying…but there's a lot of junk in my head that won't let me…" he sighed.

"Then spit it all out, that'll surely help…" the golden dog yawned again and sat patting his brother's back "What's all the junk that's bothering you, huh?"

"Where should I begin…? First of all, this stupid fear won't let me be, I promised Flame Princess to be brave but…"

"Yeah, I see where this is going…" Jake replied, "Don't think about that Finn, you're the bravest dude I've ever met! You'll surely overcome your fear, that ain't a problem for someone like you!"

"How can you be so sure Jake? What if the fear is stronger than I am?"

"Cause you are a hero! Heroes cannot be defeated by fear… they have courage within them! And if you ever find yourself trapped in a situation that demands courage, it'll obviously flow out of your guts! Trust me, as a future dad I'm supposed to be qualified on giving anti-nightmares advice!"

Finn smiled "You look more excited about that now…!"

"Well, I'm excited and scared at the same time…" Jake sighed "These news will bring a great deal of changes bro…maybe I'll have to move with Lady so we can raise our children together and I'll have to devote myself on reading that "Rainicornicopia" encyclopedia this time, hehe. But before that happens I want you to share one last special adventure with me."

"Sure Jake, you can count with it!"

"Great, 'cause once we kick the Lich's butt you and I will go into the Crystal Dimension and search for the lost Spectrum gem. I want to propose marriage to Lady with it, that'll certainly impress Bob and Ethel hehe!"

"Sounds mathematical bro, I'm happy for you…!" Finn replied brushing the floor with his hand.

"Something is still bothering you right?" Jake giggled elbowing the boy.

"Well, it's just…some kind of shocking news also…" the human stammered, "The Flame King made me Prince of his kingdom."

The dog's eyes widened and something got stuck in his throat causing him to cough like if he was choking "He did what?! You're a royal now, dude! That ducks, they won't let go on adventure and you'll have to sit all day long listening to boring lectures! Why would the Flame King do that?!"

"I don't know, he said something about his family's bloodline and keeping the Fire Kingdom's throne…" Finn stared at Jake and blushed faintly "Is it _later_ now?"

Jake gulped foreseeing what his brother was about to say "Under the circumstances…yeah…"

The boy took a deep breath and exhaled "I think the Flame King wants Flame P and I to hit tier fifteen…"

The dog's jaw dropped "Okay…" he said trying to arrange every loosed idea in his mind, from Jake's point of view Finn wasn't ready to learn about the nature of said tier "So he wants you to…marry his daughter…" That wasn't a lie at all; it was perfectly close to the subject…pretty clever of himself.

"Oh so that is it?" Finn sighed calmly "I thought it was something worse, you know? Since you were so reluctant about telling me about it…but the Flame King also mentioned something about wanting grandsons, when does that happen? On tier fourteen?"

"Umm…yeah?" Jake shook his head "Listen that's none of your business!"

"But you never told me to stay away from that one, actually, you told me to stay away from…marriage? What's wrong with marriage? You just said the you'll propose to Lady and-…!"

"Shhh!" Jake hissed.

"But-…"

"Shhh!"

"Jake I-…!"

"Shhh! Shhhh…! That's enough of _the talk_ for one night!" the golden dog growled impatiently.

"But we haven't talked about anything at all!" Finn complained in confusion.

"We have talked enough, sweet dreams fire prince!" Jake said as he curled back to sleep.

"I'm still confused Jake!" the boy exclaimed shaking him "And you didn't help me with this! What I'm supposed to do now? I don't wanna be a prince! Jake! Jaaake!"

/

The sunlight seeped in through the gaps between the wooden planks hitting Finn's face, he yawned lazily searching for his hat. The room was empty, the others must have awaken some hours before him and leaved towards the main deck. Perhaps Jake told them about his sleepless night and that's why they left him behind.

His hand rummaged among the straw insistently but there was no trace of his bear hat "What the?" Finn whispered in annoyance, he was sure that he had left it right beside him. It couldn't disappear unless… "The goat…"

The human got up looking around for the horned mammal, the goat was lying comfortably over a mound of hay, her front hoofs were crossed over each other and a white piece of cloth was hanging from her chewing snout.

"You!" Finn demanded harshly "Stop chewing my hat and give it back in this instant!"

The goat stared at him for a moment and bleated before restarting her chewing labor.

"I said…Give it back!" Finn yelled lunging over the animal without perceiving that just after he leaped from one spot the other, a canon ball crushed the wood and penetrated the ship.

The human and the goat cried in shock barely escaping from the sharp pieces of wood that were shot at them. Finn quickly yanked his hat out of the mammal's snout and lifted the goat on his shoulders running desperately towards the main deck while he listened to his friend's battle cries upstairs.

"What the math's going on?"

/

"Can't you avoid the canon balls?! You'll sink the ship!" Marceline yelled holding the ugly but necessary straw hat that Jake had given her at the Tree Fort.

"I'm trying but the ship's too big, it can't be maneuvered as fast as I'd like it to!" Princess Bubblegum replied spinning the helm skillfully "Why is that ship attacking us anyway?"

"I don't know but I'll find out!" the vampire assured before flying over the mast.

She landed on the crow's nest not really expecting to find anyone else in there and was surprised about meting Susan Strong at that height. Marceline couldn't figure how on Earth did the hyooman manage to climb up there so fast, it was almost as if using the ship's ropes and the ratlines was something natural for her.

"Very impressive big girl!" the vampire chuckled "Say, did you happen to find any telescope around here…it looks like a long metal stick…"

"This?" Susan hesitated showing her the rusty telescope.

"Oh perfect!" Marceline exclaimed stretching it and glancing through it.

She focused her sight on the attacker ship's flag, it was black and it had the symbol of a vicious skull with two crossed sabers beneath it glaring at her.

"Dang jolly roger…we are being attacked by pirates!"

"Did you say…Pirates?!" Jake shouted from below and stretched to reach Marceline's side "Oh cool! It's like a dream come true!" he exclaimed after snatching the telescope from the vampire's hands and staring through it.

"Dream? I'd say nightmare…!" Finn replied climbing up the stairs while still carrying the goat on his shoulders "I was almost killed down there…!"

"Well, I'm glad to see you're still alive boy!" Billy said approaching towards him "Now you can help us beat those pirates!"

"Ugh…yeah, about that…" the human stammered, fighting pirates at the middle of the ocean didn't sound as exciting as Jake described it from pirate movies.

"Finn will do it, right?" the flaming girl inquired cheerfully after landing beside them.

"I…I can try…hehe…" that wasn't the answer Flame Princess expected but it was enough for her.

"Great, you'll help me and the Ice King repair the holes on the ship before it sinks!" she exclaimed lifting him in the air.

"The ship will…sink?!" Finn asked in astonishment.

"Only if I don't melt the metal parts to cover them and if the Ice King doesn't freeze the water that's entering through the cracks on the wood, you can help us by covering the holes with broken planks and junk."

"Oh Glob…" he gulped. There was no way for our young hero to escape from this one; he was forced to enter in contact with the ocean's water even if he wasn't feeling ready for it yet.

Meanwhile Marceline noticed with concern that the enemy was approaching faster than before, she gasped in annoyance and floated down to inform Bonnibel about it.

"Those guys are coming for us, can't you make this ship move faster or attack them with cannons or something?"

"No Marceline, this isn't a battle ship, this is a commercial ship." Bubblegum replied struggling to maneuver the S.S. Thalassa according to her calculations "Pirate ships maybe smaller and light armored but they are extremely fast and maneuverable, they were made to quickly board and overtake larger ships…"

"Wow, that's so interesting Bonnie…!" the vampire exclaimed sarcastically "But that doesn't tell me anything at all!"

"Well, it's simple…" Princess Bubblegum sighed, "At this rate we'll soon be-…"

"Screwed…" Marceline declared in resignation as the pirate ship crashed against them.

A rain of ropes carrying savage men fell upon the S.S. Thalassa; the sturdy pirates boarded the ship and clashed in battle with the heroes-to-be. War cries, cursing and the sound of swords clashing filled the sea. Their enemies weren't such a big deal; they were just a bunch of ugly mutants, candy thieves and many other Ooocian dregs. Taking them down could have been a easy task for our heroes but then…

"Hold yer horses or the penguin dies!" a gnome wearing ragged clothes shouted holding Gunter tightly with his arm and pointing his head with a gun.

"Wenk!" Gunter cried squinting his watery eyes in fear.

Penguin or not, Gunter was a member of the gang and they didn't have the nerve to let him die. One by one the eight heroes-to-be dropped their defenses only to be captured by their enemies.

"Excellent, now take their weapons and tie them to the mast! Quickly!" the pirate gnome ordered, "Captain, the job is done!"

While being tied against the mast Flame Princess glared at the pirate ship noticing something strangely familiar on it.

"Take a look at that…" she whispered at Finn using her eyes to point him the direction "Isn't the figure on the bowsprit the same one of our ship?"

"It's true…!" Finn gasped in astonishment "That's Thalassa, the goddess of the sea…but why is her image carved in a pirate ship?"

One last man stepped on the deck. He was dressed in black with a pompous pirate had on his head; he carried a sword on his leather belt and a gun in his coat's pocket.

"Captain, this ship has been completely overtaken!" the gnome informed proudly standing firmly and placing his right hand on his forehead.

"Well done, ransack the ship and bring all the booty!" the pirate captain ordered as he strolled towards his new prisoners "Humph! What a weird crew!" the man spat staring at them.

"Wait a second…!" the human boy whispered in surprise "Isn't that…Captain Nemo…?"

* * *

**Author's Notes **

Oh yeah, Fear Feaster episodes should always have quotes at the beginning and the end, which will be on part 2 of this chapter. The quote at the start gave me the main idea of this two-part chapter, it's pretty meaningful right? Go reflect it a little, it'll be good for your mind and spirit, hehe.

Well, here you go! I'm finally catching up with myself, maybe next week the updates will be back on Tuesdays as usual.

Thanks for all your nice comments guys! I greatly appreciate your continued support, that's what fuels my imagination!

As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you next week ;)


	34. Crouching Hydra, Hidden Courage! Part II

Tale 34: Crouching Hydra, Hidden Courage! Part II

The man had exactly the same features of their captain except for the fact that he wasn't drunk and his face gave away a certain tint of anger. He walked around his new prisoners studying their faces, his black boots pushed down the wooden planks producing low-pitched squeals and crackling noises. The pirate kept his arms crossed behind his back while he examined Finn's face.

"Bouff!" the old man called causing the gnome who was holding Gunter jump in surprise.

"Aye Captain?" said character asked nervously.

The pirate captain shoved his right hand in coat's pocket and grabbed his pipe, then his hand reached his belt from where he took a small container, probably filled with tobacco. The angry-looking man deposited some of it in the pipe and with no respect at all swung it across Flame Princess' hair to turn it on.

She growled in annoyance wanting to make clear that she wasn't anyone's lighter, but the man simply ignored her as he sucked the smoke from his pipe and then exhaled it on their faces.

"Yeagh man! No smoking please!" Marceline coughed with red watery eyes because of the smoke entering through them and through her sensitive nose.

The vampire was ignored as well; the weird copy of Captain Nemo had his attention focused in just one remarkable specimen of the tied crew, the young human.

"Tell me Bouff, what is this?" the old pirate questioned leaning over Finn.

"I believe that's a human, Captain." The gnome replied studying the boy closely.

"Interesting…" the man whispered exhaling more smoke over the eight heroes-to-be "Pretty interesting… A human, a vampire and a fire elemental on the same ship…that's surely a good load of gold…"

"You can also add a magical dog and a wizard to the mixture!" the Ice King exclaimed, not without being elbowed by a bothered candy princess.

"What the cram are you doing?! Do you want us all to be sold in some dirty black market?!" she hissed.

The pirate smiled and petted Jake's head roughly "So this is a magical mutt huh? Makes me wonder what are such valuable specimens doing aboard this cheap boat…"

"Captain!" one of his men cried coming out of the stairs "All we could find were some jewels and erased maps, this ship ain't carrying any kind of treasure!"

"We also found this drunk man in the Captain's room!" a tall sturdy goblin said dragging their unconscious Captain along the stairs, the bumps didn't wake him up.

The goblin threw Nemo onto the main deck before his Captain's feet, then the pirate crouched and lifted Nemo's chin to reveal his face "Humph it's just my scurvy-infested brother…Tie him with the others and take them our ship!"

"Aye-aye Captain!" his men replied and started with their task.

The pirate smirked pulling Finn's cheek "It's not the treasure I was looking for, but at least we got ourselves some valuable booty!"

/

The sun shined through the grey skies burning mercilessly our heroes' skins, they were now tied at the pirate ship's mast where, according to Nemo's brother, the sun rays and the thirst would do the job of taming their rebellious spirits. Said slow torture wasn't such a big deal for the fire girl, but it was surely killing the vampire. Marline's head was hung down as she panted heavily, her long hair covered her face and her sweat fell onto the hot wooden floor, which puffed some steam when the cold drops entered in contact with it.

"Hey Marcy…you okay?" the human boy asked weakly forcing his dried throat as he spoke.

"Yeah…it's just the…sun."

The hat that Jake had given her offered some shade but it wasn't enough for a vampire who wasn't supposed to be exposed at the sun for such a long period of time. Marceline would have loved to raise her head and smile at her concerned mates to help them avoid their worry but it was better for her to just keep her head down, safe from the deadly sun rays.

The Ice King and Princess Bubblegum weren't exactly enjoying the torture either; they along with the Vampire Queen were the first ones to suffer the effects of their prolonged heat exposure, and for obvious reasons. Bubblegum's skin was slowly turning sticky while the blue wizard sweated exaggeratedly, probably melting like an ice cube over a stove.

Jake was panting just like any normal dog would, with his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth. Witnessing how the pirate's torture was overcoming his comrades' limits he stretched his ear to cover them with its shade.

"Ah…that's reliving Jake, thanks…" Marceline said giving him a grateful fanged-smile.

"That's what friends are for, isn't it?" the magical dog replied.

"Even after I almost scared the jelly out of your doughnut in the past?" the vampire inquired with a naughty smirk.

"Well, I tried to kill you once so I guess we're even."

"Aww…what a good doggy you are!" Marceline remarked, but no one was able to tell if she was saying that from out of her heart or if she was just teasing him.

"Hey! Ye better be quiet!" the gnome known as Bouff ordered aiming his gun at Gunter, who was tied and placed over a barrel.

"Wenk!" the penguin squealed shivering in fear.

Finn rolled his eyes in exhaustion, now they weren't even allowed to talk with each other? Maybe it was to prevent them from plotting any escape plan, but that wasn't going stop them, Finn knew that Beemo was hiding somewhere in the ship waiting for the right moment to set them free…or at least that's what he hoped.

"Agh! What is this?!" Nemo's voice broke the silence "Mutiny, that must be it!"

"Ahoy Captain!" Jake greeted worriedly "This isn't mutiny, it's something worst…umm it seems that your brother has captured us…"

"WHAT?! That doltish, fat-boned bugswallower!" Nemo cried furiously "Curse ye Omen!"

"Man…I didn't get anything of what he just said but…wait, your brother's name is Omen?" Finn asked raising an eyebrow.

"Aye…" the old captain replied dryly.

"Glob, your mother must have been very creative…!" Marceline laughed sarcastically.

"Don't ye dare to insult my mother, ye pale wench!"

His nautical jargon just made her laugh even harder while he threw sailor curses left and right but just then, the sound of a gun firing cut off their row causing everyone to instantly focus their sight on Bouff. Thankfully he had only shot his gun upwards as a remainder of his warning. They decided to remain in silence while the sun still stood over their heads melting their thoughtful brains.

The hours walked by slowly as the pirate ship sailed towards an unknown destination, sometimes a gentle gust of sea breeze would caress their burned cheeks with a small refreshing bliss. Flame Princess noticed with worry how her friends began to look more like Jake, breathing ridiculously fast in a poor attempt of cooling their bodies with their tongues stuck out.

Her amber irises drifted slowly from them towards the sky wishing for the sun to sink in the watery horizon. At least at night Marceline and the others would be able to regain some of their energy.

Flame P whipped her head back to the main deck as her ears caught the sound of steps drawing closer. She was ready to clench her teeth and growl at some more nasty pirate comments as she and the other girls had done earlier, but thank Glob, that situation wasn't repeated.

It was just another swabbie; he was carrying a mop and a bucket filled with soapy water. His face pictured all the annoyance he was feeling towards the task he was given, but the short pirate was determinate to fulfill it.

"Hey Bouff!" the swabbie called after a while of cleaning the deck "Captain Omen wants to see his brother now!"

"So what?! Now I've got to do everything on this ship?!" Bouff cried clearly bothered by his matey's laziness.

"Pretty much man, hurry or the boss is going to get mad at ye…"

"Argh! Fine, but stick an eye on these landlubbers while I'm gone!" the angry gnome grunted leaving his gun to the low-rank pirate and then proceeded to untie Nemo to pull him into the Captain's chamber.

Flame Princess' eye glimmered slyly. This was their chance; she elbowed Marceline making her raise her sight once more. In less than an hour the sun would have disappeared from the sky and the Vampire Queen was well aware of that. As if the two girls had made some kind of silent agreement both exchanged a look of conspiracy and nodded their heads.

Next, Marceline opened her mouth and bared her fangs with a loud yawn that, of course, attracted the swabbie and every other pirate on the deck's attention "Aren't you bored guys? This place is far more dead than I am…!"

The swabbie flinched almost dropping the gun "A-are you guys allowed to talk?" he stammered aiming at her nervously.

"Buddy, please…would I lie to you?" the pale girl smirked mischievously.

"Ye surely will! Now shut up before I blow yer pretty face!"

Marceline closed her eyes and shrugged "Oh well…

_There's no trust in this world anymore…_

_These people will bore themselves to death forevermore…_" she sang calmly.

"Whoa, hey!" the swabbie cried pointing her with the gun again "Are you deaf?!"

"You guys didn't say anything about singing…!" the vampire replied rolling her eyes.

"Marceline, what are you doing?!" Jake whispered fearfully "Maybe guns can't kill you but I have a future wife and some future children waiting for me to come back in one piece!"

"Technically, she's right!" another low-rank pointed while reading the thick pages of an old book. This one was shorter, his skin was completely blue and he was wearing glasses and a white cloth tied on his head. "According to the ship's rules, singing is not forbidden…!"

"Really?" the swabbie wondered peeking the book.

"Yeah, listen to your smurf friend and hand me my bass!" Marceline smiled playfully trying to win their trust "I can play some good stuff for you with it, c'mon! It'll be fun!"

Some more swabbies gathered around the first one and circled him while they murmured at unison trying to make a decision. The rest of the gang stared at them curiously, the Vampire Queen and Flame Princess in the other hand started to murmur between each other confusing their teammates even more.

"We've made a decision!" the swabbie with the gun announced raising his head "We want ye and any other of yer maties who know how to play music to do it for us!"

"Aye music!" "Men need melodies!" "Aye, aye!" the other low scurvy lives replied with excitement.

"That's what I wanted to hear! Now if you ple-…!"

"Hold on!" the swabbie cut Marceline off "We may look like it, but we ain't stupid! Ye'll play with our instruments not with yer weapon!"

"Oh, all right." Marceline answered shrugging, which caused her other partners to stare at her in confusion.

"I thought she wanted the axe to slash those pirates out of our way…!" the human boy whispered in his brother's ear.

"Let's just hope Marceline knows what she's doing…" Jake murmured back.

"Shhh…she knows, trust me…!" the young fire elemental uttered silently.

Some of the low-rank pirates ran downstairs and within a few minutes they were back holding a banjo, a viola, a steel triangle with its small rod and an accordion. The Vampire Queen studied the instruments trying to imagine how to create a harmony between them; in just a matter of seconds she had already processed a mental score, the proper tempo and the chords that would bring her improvised music piece out of her brain. It wasn't such a hard task for a thousand-year old musician.

"Okay, I got it!" the vampire announced startling everyone on the deck "Untie the dog, the blue guy, the kid and untie me, of course!"

The swabbies hesitated for a while; they had forgotten that getting their music would imply freeing the prisoners. If something went wrong their Captain was surely going to make them dance the hempen jig, which translated to our normal slang means, being hanged. A big chug of saliva ran down their throats as they rubbed their precious necks fearfully.

"C'mon hearties, what's wrong?" Marceline asked tenderly obviously wanting to tempt them with her melodic voice.

"A-all right…" the "leader" stammered "B-but…just one…s-ssong!"

"A song is all we–…, I mean, you need! Hehe…"

The swabbies exchanged an uncertain look among themselves but in the end, it was Marceline who got it her own way. She and her requested friends were freed from the tight ropes that were keeping them trapped against the mast; it was surely a relief for their squeezed lungs.

"Just give us a sec, I'll give them the chords!" Marceline said as she pulled her teammates closer into a circle much like the pirates did a few minutes ago. "Okay listen, this is what we'll do. You gotta play slow, just follow my lead and if you can come up with something good while I sing it'd be great!"

"Marceline…are we really going to play for those dirtbags just because?" Finn questioned raising an eyebrow.

"Sometimes I wonder what did Grod do with the men's intuition…" the vampire sighed "Of course not, we'll just distract them while Flame P sneaks into the captain's room! We need to know where are they taking us before doing something reckless, got it?"

"Ohhh…" Finn, Jake and the Ice King exclaimed understanding the plan.

"Great, now grab whatever instrument you know to play and do what I said." Marceline instructed, "We are ready guys! Please, sit back and relax…" she said while her fingers tuned the old banjo skillfully "No, seriously…relax…"

The pirates pushed some barrels and boxes to get themselves comfortable, just as the Ice King tried to figure how an accordion works since Finn snatched the triangle from him. Jake sniffed the wrecked viola and stared at it with a hint of melancholy, his precious instrument must have been destroyed along with the Tree Fort…

"Hey Shelby…you are not there, are you?" the golden dog whispered sadly wondering if the worm could have made it out alive.

"Guys…" the Vampire Queen called strumming some notes "Focus."

The pale sighed squeezing some old lyrics from within her mind, Marceline just hoped that she could remember one of her first songs. The sound of the waves pushing the ship and the cries of the albatrosses, which were now seeking for a shelter to spend the night, helped the forgotten words to drift out of her cold lips.

"_Used to__dream of a pirate ship, that would take me away from here…_

_Out to the open sea into the biggest blue, complete with a cast of unsavory crew…_

_Who'd show me things that I shouldn't do…" _

The rhythm was slow and melancholic but it was easy to follow and her soft voice seemed to carry the swabbies' minds to a faraway land.

"_Well, the masts were tall and impressive, n' the old wood creaked perfectly too…_

_And the full sails held promises of something true, and when we'd get bored of the watery view…_

_We'd simply set our course for the moon…"_

The Vampire Queen floated over the improvised musicians letting them add an instrumental bridge before she continued with the song. Finn, Jake and the Ice King were actually doing it pretty well, she couldn't help to notice that the swabbies and even the other heroes-to-be had their eyes closed and were following the melody with a slow movement of their head.

Meanwhile, Flame Princess snapped out of the haunting lyrics and morphed her body into a fireball, which sled out of the ropes quite easily, then she just merged with the fire of the oil lanterns that were hanging on the ship trying to make her way cautiously into the captain's chamber.

"_To my surprise as I've grown older, living these days like dreams with you…_

_I've discovered the ship waits inside my chest, and the winds fills its sails on the days I like best…_

_Where it takes me, it takes me alone…to do this strange work I barely know…"_

Marceline floated even higher spinning around a big yellowish full moon that finally let herself been seen in the night sky, probably thanks to the greater and greater distance that was keeping them away from the Lich's unholy influence. The refreshing sea breeze messed her long midnight black mane at the same time it drove her voice into the vastness of the ocean.

"_Lah, lah, lah, lay…lah…lah…lara, lay…" _

She descended slowly noticing that she was also letting her mind fly too faraway.

"_Now i don't know when the tides will call me…_

_Away from this sweet life with you…"_

Jake joined with an appropriate stroke from the viola's chords giving more feeling to Marceline's song.

"_And I wish that I could stay forever, even though since I was young I knew there was never_

_such a thing but this wishful thinking…keeps our stories rising as our lives are sinking_

_in time I'll kiss you goodbye, on my way and kiss you goodbye…_

_Don't wanna go, but I'll kiss you goodbye…"_

It wasn't an applause what welcomed her back to the deck, but a loud choir of snores and grunts. Though she was satisfied with the outcome of her plan, signing that song brought back some unwanted memories that she had tried to forsake centuries ago. Marceline glanced the old banjo that had helped her project those memories out, she sighed and kicked it out of the ship. With a little bit of luck she won't have to do something like that ever again.

"C'mon Finn, Jake…" the Vampire Queen instructed with little enthusiasm "Let's untie the others and wait for Flame Princess…" she glimpsed the Ice King still staring at her and tilted his head "That goes for you as well, Simon…"

"Aye-aye Captain!" the old man replied with a silly grin.

/

The small flame drifted through the clammy hallways of the ship following Captain Omen's voice, she smiled at small candle lighting the pirate's desk dimly and immediately proceeded to hide herself within its fire.

Nemo was tied on a chair glaring at his brother with hate, while this one simply wrote something silently on his diary. His plume scribbled the blank pages with dark strokes of bluish ink until the old pirate decided to put an end to his writing by hitting the page with a splattered point.

"Hey brother, long time no see…" Omen whispered leaning back on his wooden seat.

"Shut yer scurvy-infested mouth, I'd better had never seen ye again!" Nemo growled "Get away from my sight, I don't want anything from ye!"

"How about a little sip of rum?" the other man asked pouring the alcoholic beverage in a small glass "Maybe that w–?"

Captain Nemo mysteriously yanked his arm out of the ropes and chugged the liquid at lightning-like speed "Damn ye Omen, how dare ye use me weaknesses against me?!"

Flame P giggled at the drunk man but quickly bit her lips hoping that the weird siblings hadn't heard anything.

"Ye haven't changed, little brother…" the other man sighed, "Anyway, I didn't bring ye here to discuss about insipid memories…It was surely fate what brought us together once more on the night when I'm planning to finish what we started some time ago…hehe…"

"Finish what we–? D-do you mean…you've tracked her?"

"Not only that, I've found everything we needed to know to bring her back…" Omen stated with pride "Once we have crossed the Sea of Sure Death will be back on that same spot, the waters where you sealed her away…"

"I…sealed her?" Asked Nemo putting his palm over his beating heart.

"Aye… in order to break that seal, a valuable treasure must be sacrificed, do you remember that? Since I last saw you, I've devoted my self to find the most precious treasures of this waters but nothing seems valuable enough!" A smirk crossed his face "Perhaps those rare members of your pitiful crew will finally bring Thalassa back…"

"Are ye insane?! She's a demonic sea monster now! You'll kill us all!"

"No, I will slay her so she can finally be free but you won't understand that 'cause ye're nothing but an old drunk fool!" Omen shouted quickly losing his patience "I just called you to let ye know that after we use yer wenches to drive us alive across the Misty Borders, ye'll be part of the sacrifice since ye and Thalassa seemed share such a close bond!"

"_I've learned enough, I gotta tell the others…!" _ Flame Princess thought shooting herself out of the room without being noticed.

/

Princess Bubblegum stretched her arms feeling grateful of being free once more; an orange glimmer passed her by and then it quickly changed its direction with a sudden turn. Bubblegum drowned a startled gasp with her hands when it stopped right in front of her face and morphed back into Flame Princess.

"That guy's crazy, I didn't get a thing but it seems that the pirate wants to use us to lure some kind of sea monster!" the fiery girl avowed eagerly.

"Why is it that we're always involved in some kind of crazy…ummm craziness?" Jake the dog questioned with exhausted eyes.

Susan gave him an unsure look and shrugged.

"What are we supposed to do now?" the pink girl asked back "It's eight against…umm…a bunch, and we don't have our weapons either!"

"It'll be hand to hand combat, then…" Billy replied creaking his knuckles.

"That's easy for all of you to say, with your magic and supernatural strength!"

"But Peebles, I'm powerless too, you know?" Finn claimed.

"Wenk!" Gunter added.

Marceline walked towards the penguin and picked him up "Someone should keep this guy save, I don't want anything stopping us from escaping this time." After receiving a positive response from the others she moved closer to Finn and opened his backpack "Gunter should be save her– Beemo!"

"Humph, and everyone thought he was somewhere waiting for the right time to save us…" the Ice King muttered squeezing the penguin into the now overloaded backpack "You two better stay out of the grown-ups business, this ain't place for a baby or a computer!"

"Listen Ice King, don't call me computer! I've got a name, thank you!" Beemo cried angrily from within the green bag.

Jake suddenly felt a chill running down his spine "Guys…I think we should hide…!"

"No." a cold voice replied from behind "We have a very important mission tonight, and it seems that ye're well aware of it…"

The eight heroes-to-be whipped back to meet the pirate captain staring at them with a vicious smirk, his gun aimed at Nemo's head.

"Now listen, all of you! I don't know how did ye manage to escape but now we'll try to cooperate with each other like good maties, is that okay?"

"Define cooperate…!" Princess Bubblegum retorted tightening her fists.

"We're sailing dangerous waters miss, our ship is heading towards the Misty Boarders and every sailor knows that those waters are infested with evil mermaids…"

"Ha! Like if some fishy ladies could scare us! Are you listening bro?" the golden bulldog sneered.

"Yeah…why should we be afraid of– the waves got more aggressive as the ship drifted even further pushing it violently– Jake!" the boy squealed jumping over the dog.

"Everyone on board should be afraid of them, except for our female guests. In less than an hour will be surrounded by them! They'll sing their hypnotic songs trying to lure me men and yer friends with their exuberant beauty, men are weak, will be prey of an instant feeling of fake love and when we try to get closer to them…bam! They'll drag us to the bottom of the ocean just to drown us and wreck our ship!"

"Whoa…stop it there!" Marceline interjected "You mean that…you'll leave us in charge of this boat while the rest of you are seduced by fish woman?!

"Marceline's right, that's stupid!" Princess Bubblegum added with a frown.

"Yeah, why aren't any fish men there?" the vampire protested causing Bubblegum to elbow her "Auw… but it's true, that's not fair!"

"Marceline…please!" the other gal pleaded feeling her patience slipping away "I guess, there's no turning back from here, is it?" her voice became colder while her eyes were fixed on the old pirate.

"It's either sink or swim, my dear…"

"Fine!" Flame Princess exclaimed pulling out some chains from a barrel while everyone on board stared at her with widened eyes "Everyone, against the mast, now!"

"Flame P, could you at least explain what you–whoa!" Finn's voice trailed off as the fiery girl grabbed his shirt to drag him behind her. She pushed him against the mast along with Jake and the others, and chained them onto it tightly. "Bleah! Careful, you'll squeeze my guts out! What's up with the sudden brutality, huh?"

"I'm just trying to avoid uncomfortable situations." She replied pulling the chains even tighter.

"Ugh!" Jake moaned, "Oh, I see what's going on here! Flame is uncomfortable with the idea of Finn getting some wet kisses! Heheh–Uff!" the chains around him were pulled even harder.

"I'm uncomfortable with the idea of letting any of you die, so quit it!" the angry fire elemental disclosed with a flushed face. It is impossible to determine if that's a result of been uncovered or just part of her rage.

"You know Flame Princess? You could loose these chains a little…" the Ice King suggested trying to breathe.

"Yeah right," Marceline cracked "If anything you'll be the first one who drowns tonight! You can be pretty weak, when it comes to women…"

"Oh Gob…nobody trusts the Ice King…well, isn't that exasperating Gunter?"

"Wehhhnk…" the penguin squawked weakly.

"C'mon guys, we can take it!" the green giant assured "We're supposed to be the strong gender–ugh!" this time it was the vampire who tightened the chains.

"Now don't start with sexism ideas again, let me remind you who are the ones who'll be risking their butts to save yours tonight!"

"Okay…okay…Glob…!" the legendary hero replied rolling his eyes.

Thus, the four girls continued with their task of chaining everyone on board, being them enemies or not. Once that part of the job was done, the girls gathered on the front deck awaiting for their new foes' arrival. There was a thick veil of silence covering them except for the uneasy ocean's roars.

"Flame Princess," Princess Bubblegum whispered almost unperceptively "Get the ship's lights off, perhaps if they can't see us we'll be able to avoid this whole trouble…"

The flaming girl replied with a nod and commanded the flickering fires on every lamp to vanish with a simple wrist movement. Soon a complete darkness fell upon them.

"You know guys? I'm actually pretty scared…" the icy wizard murmured.

"Shhh…keep it down…!" Jake ordered quietly "I'm trying to detect any movement with my ears…!"

Back on the front deck Susan was leaning against the handrail struggling to scan the waters with her green eyes "Red flower…you come here…" she called.

Flame Princess obeyed and leaned next to her illuminating the ocean dimly with her glow. Both girls remained silent, trying to focus on their search when a sudden pulse on the water made them turn their gazes in the opposite direction.

"You saw that?" the hyooman asked nervously.

"Yeah…" the other girl answered walking to the other side of the deck.

Two more pulses were heard, this time each one in different directions. They noticed Marceline floating from one side to the other, turning her head constantly in desperation. With a growl the vampire hit the deck with her boot's heels and glanced at her teammates "They are making fun of us, quick! Everyone to your designated positions!"

The heroines-to-be scattered covering the four flanks of the pirate ship, Marceline on the stern, Flame Princess on the port, Susan on the starboard and Bubblegum on the rear side taking control of the helm.

They stood still waiting…and waiting… The pulses drew closer with every passing second until finally, something jumped out of the water and flew across the ship. The girls flinched acquiring defensive poses, they were ready for everything and anything except for the deafening screech that pierced her ears causing them to fall on their knees grunting painfully.

Marceline felt electric shocks running through her brain, it gave her the hell of a headache, and of course. She had the most sensitive hearing of the four, it took her longer than the rest of them to recover from that but when she did, she was pissed off.

"What the heck was that?!" the vampire demanded fiercely.

"It must be them, the mermaids!" Princess Bubblegum announced holding the helm tightly "We need to cross these waters fast before they drive the guys crazy."

"Hey Jake…did you listen that?" Finn asked, a lost expression clouding the blue of his eyes.

"Yeah man…it was beautiful…" the dog replied in total absorption.

"Forget what I said…" the sugary princess sighed "Unfurl the other sails, we must gain some good speed to get the fudge out of here!"

Without a moment of hesitation Susan climbed the ratlines showing off mastery in doing so, it only took her seconds to arrive to the first yardarm and untie the red sail.

"Uh-oh…" Susan Strong moaned with concern.

"What is it?" the Vampire Queen demanded anxiously.

"No wind tonight…" the hyooman answered with grieve.

"Oh Damn…"

Bubblegum couldn't feel the ship drifting through the water anymore, she gritted her teeth guessing what the problem was. Not even the weather was on their side…

The pink princess ran towards Flame Princess pulling a gun-like weapon from her pocket.

"What's that?" the younger princess asked with curiosity while Bubblegum loaded her weird gun with some darts.

"This is a…ugh…it's for blowing those stinky fishes out of our way!" she answered knowing that part of what she just said was true. "Look, this ship won't go any farther, we have to knock those mermaids out to keep our friends save! That will give us some time while we wait for a good gust to take us out of here!"

"Got it!" Flame Princess replied with determination and conjured a pair of fireballs on her fists "Let's do it!"

Another ear-piercing screech was heard as one of the fierce mermaids lunged over the princesses baring her sharp fangs; Bubblegum pulled the trigger with precision. The paralyzing dart was buried deep in the center of the creature's forehead making her fall back into the ocean.

"Nice shot!" Flame P exclaimed in excitement.

"Are you mad? That was terrifying as hell, she could have–!"

"Look out!" the fire elemental cried pushing Bubblegum away to blast another mermaid off "Phew…that was a close one, huh?"

Marceline watched the princesses struggle from above with an impotent frown "They are not going to make it, more of those things are coming…if only we could… That's it!" she snapped her fingers "Susan unfurl the rest of the sails, I'm gonna push us away from here!"

"R-really!?" the hyooman said enthusiastically "Just leave it to Susan!" and with that the over sized woman hopped skillfully among the yardarms.

The Vampire Queen smiled at her and then sighed taking some distance between her and the ship, she closed her eyes and focused on stretching out her bones. Slowly, her face began to lose any human-like features to replace them with the ever-frightening look of her giant bat form. A pair of torn wings sprung out of her back as her body grew in size just like her sharp fangs and claws, her now aquamarine eyes shined ominously locking the only ship in sight.

"Hehe, here we go!" the giant bat chuckled flying backwards to gain more impulse and then shoot herself towards the pirate ship flapping her wings to cut through the air with all her strength.

When Marceline determined that she was close enough, she flapped her wings one last time creating a powerful gust that filled the ship's gigantic sails and sent it forward with a great amount of speed.

"Yeahaha! That's it!" the Vampire Queen celebrated raising her fist into the air while her body recovered its normal form.

Meanwhile the passengers of the pirate ship, or at least those who weren't under the mermaid's influence yelled in confusion slipping and falling backwards because the sudden and mysterious outburst of speed.

It didn't took long before everything on board stumbled down with them rolling around the deck without control, and then the unthinkable happened. One of the canons slipped towards the mast and hit the chains breaking them apart to free Finn and the others accidentally.

"Oh…crap…!" Marceline whined realizing her mistake and flew as fast she could to catch up with the ship "Sorry girls, my bad!" she yelled flying over her confused teammates, who were still trying to get on their feet.

"Marceline, what the?" Princess Bubblegum moaned leaning on the handrail "W-what did you do?" The frightened gasp from the fire elemental on her side helped her realize what had happened. "Holy su–!"

An intolerable wave of heat exploding next to hair flashed forward cutting off her words; Flame Princess dashed with all her might to stop her hypnotized friends from being drowned by some stupid sea creatures.

Billy and the Ice King drew close to the handrail and leaned forward following the horrible screeches, which for them were the most beautiful voices in the world, towards a sure death. The mermaids awaited for them extending their bare arms and welcomed them with a warm smile.

"No, Susan won't let that happen!" the hyooman cried charging against the four heroes-to-be and pushed them to the other side of the ship.

Flame Princess arrived to her side a gave her a relieved smile, but it wouldn't last for long. The vicious sea creatures were mad now, they gathered by hundreds climbing the ship's left side to turn it over so the gravity would do the hard job for them.

Feeling the ship's weight being pulled to one side Susan Strong grabbed the wooden handrail with one arm and seized the guys with the other, unfortunately Finn and Jake slipped away from her grasp and fell directly towards the mermaids' mercy.

"Got ya guys!" the fire girl shouted giving the hyooman some relief. Flame P held them both tightly while at the same time she tried to lift them up with her into the air.

Just, why couldn't she? Her eyes quickly searched for the problem and she felt her heart freezing at the sight of Finn and Jake struggling to pull her down using their weight and the dog's stretchy powers.

"What the heck are you doing guys?!" the young princess inquired anxiously.

"Pull harder Jake! We gotta reach their arms…" the human ordered acting totally out of his mind.

"Sure brother…" Jake replied stretching his body towards the handrail on the other side the ship to pull the fiery princess down "We can use the ocean to beat her…"

"Yeah do it…"

Flame Princess couldn't believe what she was listening to, Finn and Jake were trying to extinguish her…what kind of cruel joke were their playing with her?

Princess Bubblegum couldn't ignore the situation. She let herself slide down to reach the magical dog and fought to make him let go of the handrail. Sadly, Jake was surprisingly far stronger than her.

"Jake, c'mon! Snap out of it!" the sugary princess pleaded feeling the cold waters that were now surrounding her feet "Jake you wouldn't let any of this happen! Finn's life and yours are in danger!"

"Let me go Bubblegum…Can't you see they're calling us?" the bulldog replied dryly.

"J-Jake…please! Think about Lady– s-she's waiting for you, remember? You're going to become a father in few months…! You want that!"

Jake stared at her for a while like if he was thinking about what she just said, but it seemed that the mermaid's power was stronger "Let me go Bubblegum…"

Princess Bubblegum sighed with grieve "I never wanted to do this…but you're leaving me no choice!" she pulled out her dart-gun and aimed at him "I'm sorry Jake"

"No need to apologize Princess…" the magical dog muttered stretching his ear to push her into the ocean.

Bubblegum gasped in shock and rolled out of his way while he kept attacking her, the princess of the Candy Kingdom tried her best to shot the dog in vain. Jake's body could dodge the darts with ease by changing its self into a great variety of shapes and sizes. During her rush she was unable to notice one of the drowsy sailors on the floor and tripped down with him landing over a wooden box, her weight smashed it reveling its content.

The Demon Blood sword, Nothung, Marceline's bass and her Root sword were hidden inside it the whole time. Bubblegum didn't know from where could she have pulled the courage to grab her sword and slash one of her loyal knight's paw with it, but she was glad she did.

Jake groaned painfully finally letting go of the handrail, soon him, Finn and Flame Princess hit the deck not too far from where Bubblegum was. The candy princess rushed to the dog's side and cradled him in her arms.

"I'm sorry for hurting you Jake, I promise to heal your paw with the Cyclops' tears once we get out of this nightmare…"

"Finn no!" Flame Princess shrieked causing Bubblegum to fix her gaze on her, she hated what her eyes saw.

Finn was threatening her with the Demon Blood sword, forcing her to walk back into the ocean. The flaming girl tried to snatch the blade from him but the human swung it proficiently at her almost cutting off her hand, she instantly backed away staring at him with fear.

"F-Finn…" the fire princess whispered in discernment.

"Flame Princess let me go…" the human boy ordered pointing the red sword at her defiantly.

"No!" the girl cried stepping between him and the ocean angrily "I won't let you kill yourself…you'll have to finish me off first!"

"So be it, then…" Finn replied coldly before lunging over her.

Flame Princess used her fire to keep him away but Finn kept coming no matter what she did, the distance between them and the sea was getting shorter with every failed attempt of pushing her boyfriend back.

"Finn listen to me, please!" the fiery princess yelled anxiously "You are not like this, you hear me? This isn't you! Snap out of it! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Flame Princess!" Bubblegum shouted, "There's no use in trying to reason with them! The mermaids' power is too strong at this distance, if you want to save Finn you'll have to attack him back!"

"But…" Flame P hesitated staring back at her "Finn is…"

"I understand, that's why you've got to do it!" Princess Bubblegum declared, "It's the only way!"

Flame Princess turned her sight back at Finn, she felt her fists shivering as she conjured fire around them. The human glared at her tightening his grip on the sword's hilt.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way I'm losing you again…" the young princess apologized charging against him.

It surprised her that he didn't move an inch to avoid her attack, instead Finn remained there holding the Demon Blood sword as if nothing was about to happen. Flame P thought that he was probably testing her; maybe he didn't believe that she had the nerve to hurt him, but she was going to prove him wrong.

Her fiery fist was buried into his right cheek turning his face away and pushing his weight back, that was going to leave a mark on his skin and would probably burn painfully enough to make him snap out of that trance, but even thought she had won something felt wrong…terribly wrong…

Flame Princess felt an ardent sting crossing her body; she was in pain, yet she couldn't tell why. The fire princess lowered her head slowly, she was afraid of doing so but she did it anyway. Her eyes widened in horror, that hadn't happened. It was impossible. Finn would never…

The pain yanked her back to reality, it had happened…the Demon Blood sword had pierced through her body; the blade had been buried so deep that she was sure its tip could be seen coming out of her shoulder. Her fist remained on his face but her arm was now losing its strength, her muscles began to quiver; in fear, in pain, in anger, in confusion or probably because of everything.

"Finn…you-… you didn't, right?" She asked with a soft voice, something like that wasn't supposed to happen.

Not to her, not because of Finn…it was simply impossible…he couldn't be that gone, could he? Flame Princess refused to accept it.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

So, how are you? Still getting over 'I Remember You'? God I cried, the heck I did! It was so strong; …Adventure Time's too amazing for a cartoon. Sorry, I had to say that, especially when I live in an 'Anti-AT environment' and I have to let the feels flow under my pillow.

*sigh* I'm okay…I'm okay…

I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much you have enjoyed the others; I can't really thank you enough for your reviews. I'll try my best to not let you down!

So well, see you next week. Stay awesome!

Oh yes, before I forget! Even though I'd love to, I'm not like Rebecca Sugar so I can't write amazing songs like she does…or she used to since she's leaving Adventure Time…So of course Marceline's song isn't mine.

That was "Wishful Thinking" by Rupa & the April Fishes. It's a really nice song, I can totally picture Marceline singing it so, I decided to use it here.

Okay that's all; I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger so I better start working on the next chapter now!

*sniff* …oh Simon…


	35. Crouching Hydra, Hidden Courage Part III

Tale 35: Crouching Hydra, Hidden Courage! Final Part

The blade was pulled out of her body cutting through her damaged tissue again; the pain stung triggering a reaction that could be led only by her instincts, Flame Princess retrieved her fist and smashed it against Finn's face. The human crashed on the other side of the ship and fell unconscious, away from danger.

The fire girl panted letting all the adrenaline inside her decrease with each exhalation, then she heard quick footsteps drawing closer. Princess Bubblegum grabbed her and turned her body to face her.

"Hey Flame P, are you okay?!" the princess asked in concern. She noticed how Flame Princess' eyes drifted back at the unconscious boy emptily. "H-hey! Lo-…look at me!" Bubblegum pleaded raising the girl's chin with her hand.

"Finn didn't mean that…right?" Flame P whispered staring vaguely into Bonnibel's eyes.

"Of course not, he was under a strong curse!" Bubblegum explained being more worried of the girl's physical condition than of her feelings "Now let me look at that…"

The sugary princess examined her body searching for the wound and sighed with relief noticing that the sword had pierced through Flame Princess' forearm. Her vital organs were untouched. Bubblegum ripped a piece of cloth from her pink T-shirt and wrapped it around the bleeding injury.

"This won't actually help with the pain or stop the bleeding, but it's going to prevent an infection…I left my purse on the other ship so…" the princess sighed, "I can't heal you yet…"

Flame Princess raised her arm horizontally fixing her sight on the improvised bandage "We'd better finish off those creatures before this gets any worse…" she replied testing how much pain she could bear by swinging and flexing her wounded limp "Auw…"

"I'm glad to see you're still willing to fight, but it would be best if you try to avoid using that arm, okay?" Bubblegum advised with a soft smile.

"Fine, by the way…thanks…"

Princess Bubblegum nodded.

/

Lost within a thick veil of mist, a shadow drifted over the ocean, an island stood right ahead of it. Waves crashing fiercely against the shore welcomed its arrival as it slowly shaped itself into a humanoid form; his hands were holding each other as if they were imprisoning something inside them.

"This better be the right place or your punishment shall be worst than the last one, Galleon…" the shadowy figure muttered releasing a tiny creature from his grasp.

"You can't blame me, my memory is not as accurate as it used to be since you stuck me in that bottle for countless decades!" the Manticore complained flying around the masked man's expressionless features.

The man didn't say anything; he just waved at the tiny beast with his hand pushing him forward, the mythical creature flew away getting deeper into the mysterious island.

"_Ha! That fool thinks I'm going to obey him for fear?! He'd better keep dreaming. I fear no eternal torture, for my entire deathless existence is already one. No…I'll keep this world's dying cinder of hope alive while I can, the secret of the cosmic weapons shall not be revealed until the true heroes claim it!"_

The Manticore advanced through the foggy woods making himself sure that the masked man, his former friend, wasn't following him. On the other side of the isle his eyes searched desperately for the shore until they glimpsed a weak glimmer in the sand. It was a crystal bottle, the perfect container for a castaway sailor's SOS message.

His claws scratched an old piece of paper writing the following message:

"_To the soon to-be-heroes of Ooo,_

_If I never get to see ya again, I want you to know part of what I can remember from Pyralis' Seal spell, to break it you'll need the power of an unlimited source of energy that can only be unleashed by one –and only one– person in specific. However, who and where this person may be it's still a mystery. To crack it, I want you to find Devil's eye island, for there is where I hid the secret some centuries ago…_

_Please guys… Hurry! I can't give you time anymore!" _

The old lion-like creature sighed heavily as the waves carried the bottle into the open sea, the message will reach them, he was sure of it. A guiding spell, something that he hadn't used in years but was still fresh in his brain would do the work.

His breath was exhaled one last time; he had heard the footsteps of his enemy drawing closer…

/

Marceline descended at high speed to kick the Ice King down and slam him against the ship's deck. He and Billy had freed themselves from Susan's grip and tried to jump into the ocean guided by the mermaids' accursed signing.

Controlling the two guys (especially the giant) in a ship that's being pulled downward at one of its sides was indeed an ordeal for the heroines. Knocking them out, just like Bubblegum did with Jake and Flame Princess with Finn, was the only way to keep them save and Marceline's vampire kick had finished the job.

The female sea demons began to crawl slowly out of the water and into the deck, the Vampire Queen could swear that they were being surrounded by the entire mermaid world wide population and half of it was trying to sink the ship. Meanwhile, Princess Bubblegum was trying her best to keep themselves save from the sharp-looking rocks that appeared on their way while they crossed the Misty Borders.

"_Of course…!_" the candy ruler thought spinning the helm as fast as she could to avoid the obstacles that kept coming unexpectedly _"Those things inhabit these areas to shipwreck their victims with ease! Why couldn't we just let Gunther di-…What the heck am I thinking?!"_

"Hey Princess!" Marceline punched one of the mermaids right in the face making her fall from the deck "I'll be great if you focus on driving us out of here! I already gave this boat a speed boost, can't you just use it in our favor?!"

"This isn't easy you know?!" Bubblegum replied doggedly. "By the way, your precious axe is right under your feet if you haven't noticed it!"

Cold wet claws pierced the vampire's legs. So now they were trying to drag her down too? Big mistake. Marceline quickly crouched down and snatched her beloved blade/instrument; it slashed off the mermaid's arms.

"Yay! Take that! Dirty sea bitc-…!"

"Marceline!" the pink princess called in annoyance "No dirty mouths on my ship!"

"Ha! So now you're the captain or something? Keep dreaming, gal!"

Flame Princess grinned slightly listening to her teammates; she was sitting on the upper side of the now declined pirate ship. Although she wanted to join Susan and the other girls to kick those sea witches' tails, the ocean covering most of the area wouldn't let her. Instead Flame P offered herself to stay with the guys and take care of them, of course she was more focused on her friends than on the pirate crew but she'd just shoot anything that tried to get closer to them than it should.

The fire girl shivered a little because of the bloody scent in the air, it was coming from her wounded arm, Jake's paw and Finn's face. She remembered that Marceline said something about being grateful at Bubblegum for suggesting her about drinking some fish blood earlier otherwise, that smell would have driven her vampire instincts wild.

She felt her body shudder again, that was a disturbing thought. Flame Princess couldn't stand the idea of being attacked by another one of her friends again, at least not after what happened with the boy who was now lying unconscious on her lap. Finn hadn't mean it, or course…he didn't.

"That's it, get back to the hole from where you came from ultra-developed-shrimps!" the Vampire Queen shouted joyfully swinging her red weapon back and forth. The mermaids were retrieving, but the fact that those sea devils weren't escaping just because of her could have never crossed her mind.

"You scared bad girls away?" Susan intrigued worriedly by poking the pale girl's arm.

"Who else sweetheart?" Marceline answered leaning on her axe-bass with pride.

"You think so…?" Princess Bubblegum said arriving to their side. The waters were calmer now, but the skies were darker and the silence was deeper "I-I don't like this…what if something else sacred them off?"

As the mermaids disappeared within the Misty Borders each man aboard began to regain his consciousness, they flinched a bit, probably because they found themselves tied with chains against some part of the ship or because they were unable to tell where they were.

"Ugh…" Finn muttered struggling to open his eyes. His head was killing him and his cheek hurt just like the time when Jake left him watching some sort of soufflé and he fell asleep on the stove. "Huh?"

As his vision and the rest of his senses sharpened, the human boy was able to spot a worried face just in front of him.

"Finn?" Flame Princess asked nervously. The fiery girl wasn't aware of the mermaids' relinquishment and she was ready to react in case Finn tried to attack her again.

"Hey Flame P…" the young hero replied softly after recognizing her voice "Are we back on Captain Nemo's ship? Why are we taking a break, huh?"

"Y-you don't know what happened?"

"Well…" Finn whispered getting up from her lap "I don't. My head hurts, though. Maybe that-…What happened to your arm?!" he asked freaking out all of a sudden once his blue eyes noticed the bloody cloth warped around her forearm.

"You mean?" her eyes widened in surprise "You can't remember anything?"

Finn pressed his forehead trying to remember, he felt just like if he was having a hangover…and he has never had one in his life. Slowly but clearly the memories started to flow back into his consciousness, the pirates, the mermaids, he and Jake trying to…

"Oh Grod…" the boy gasped carefully leaning over her "I-…I-…how?"

"Those creatures had you enchanted with their weird singing, it wasn't really you who did this…" Flame Princess explained pointing her injury "They were manipulating you, I think… Now I see that you weren't even conscious when-…"

"No!" Finn yelled holding both sides of his head in a stressful manner "I shouldn't have…I should have been stronger, I was trying to kill you Flame P!" his eyes rolled down to the floor "What kind of hero tries to kill his own lady? I'm supposed to save your life, not-!"

She pulled him into a hug pressing his head against her chest "You save my life everyday…" Flame Princess whispered, "It wasn't your fault, I'll be okay."

"Flame Princess, yeah…thank you…" Finn sniffed "_Heroes don't cry, heroes don't cry, awesome heroes don't cry…_" the metal mantra was repeated frantically while he tried to hold back his incoming tears of gratefulness.

"Batten down the hatches! Get this ship moving!" they heard Captain Nemo shout, "Someone free me! We've got to get the heck outta here!"

"Wha…?" the Ice King moaned snapping out of his own unconsciousness where are we?"

Marceline arched an eyebrow in confusion; she couldn't fully understand what was going at the moment so she just broke the chains that were keeping Nemo save from the mermaids' influence. "Say old man, what's going on here? Why are you so anxious all of a sudden? Can't you see that everything is calmed now?"

"That's just the calm before the storm…" the old sailor panted "Let me drive us away from these cursed waters before-…!"

Captain Nemo tried to reach the helm running frantically over it, but before he could even touch it the sound of a gun made him froze. Bubblegum followed the thin trail of smoke and spotted Nemo's brother pointing the clouds with his gun.

"Who freed that guy?!" the princess demanded in astonishment. Common sense would have told to any of her teammates that freeing the pirates was a stupid idea, but there were always a few people in the gang who didn't seem to have it.

"No one has moved a muscle, Bonnibel…" the Vampire Queen stated crossing her arms.

"Hehe…I freed myself, thank ye…" the old pirate chuckled viciously lowering his gun "Now, stand back. We're not leaving these waters…"

"And you think we're going to obey you, yeah sure! Your crew is still tied, its one against eight!" Marceline challenged fiercely. "Bonnibel take us outta here!"

The bubblegum princess nodded grasping the wooden wheel "Aye, we'll go with the flow now!" she declared turning the ship.

Captain Omen frowned and lifted his gun in a sudden movement aimed at the sugary princess. He grinned and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew at high speed towards her chest without letting her notice until it was too late.

"Bubblegum!" Marceline saw it coming before anyone else could; she pushed the princess out of the way barely avoiding the shot herself. "Dang it…" the vampire complained covering her left ear; the bullet had grazed it making a semi-circular opening on the edge of her pointy ear.

"M-Marceline…are you okay?" Princess Bubblegum asked worriedly.

"Yeah, don't worry! Bullets can't kill me!" Marceline grinned pointing the small bleeding wound with her finger "This will look cool once it heals! "

"You're crazy…" Bonnibel sighed with relief.

"Hey you two, this ain't over!" the pirate yelled aiming at Bubblegum "Put your hands were I can see them and walk away from the helm!" he smirked "By the way vampire, thanks for adding the scent of your blood into the mixture. It'll surely be more appetizing for _her_…!"

"Her?" both girls asked to each other exchanging a confused look.

"A human, a vampire and a fire elemental's blood can be literally tasted in the air, didn't I told ye earlier that I needed a valuable treasure to offer? Oh no! I remember now, the fire gal overheard it! Hehe!"

Flame Princess glared at him "So he knew…we fell into his trap…"

"Oh-uh…" Finn mumbled, "Then…it's true…what Captain Nemo said…"

"What?"

"A cursed sea monster will come…" the young hero gulped "I don't know if I'm ready for a fight at the…_ocean_…"

A flock of albatrosses gathered not far away from them squawking and flapping their wings while they flew drawing wide circles in the sky. The wind rose out of nowhere to mess everyone's hair and fill the sails.

"Shiver me timbers…" Nemo gasped in fear "This can't be happening, please brother! Ye gotta stop this madness, we can't win against _her_!"

"I have to try…" the old pirate whispered sincerely gazing at the horizon "I've been waiting for this moment…all these years stealing and assaulting other harmless crafts just for _her_…"

"But… it was your fault that she ended up like this, brother!" Nemo yelled angrily.

"I'm trying to mend my mistakes!" his brother replied in the same way "I sacrificed my honor for _her_, I always did! And yet…she just had eyes for you…"

"Why do I have the feeling that we're in the middle of some nautical love triangle?" Bubblegum questioned uncertainly.

"I knew we should've picked the K'nuckles guy…" Marceline said after blinking nervously.

Jake growled unperceptively, he was waking up with a terrible headache and a sickening feeling of nausea. The dog tried to get up on his hind legs being suddenly stung by the pain of the cut in his paw. "What in the world happened?" he muttered stretching his other arm to reach the ship's handrail and drag himself over it "I feel like- bleagh!"

The magical dog vomited, wondering if he was just seasick or drunk. Maybe, he got too excited with Lady's news about the puppies? How could he know? His mind was blank.

"Bleh…" Jake muttered sticking out his tongue while his big round eyes watched the ocean. The water's currents slowly began to twist themselves around them. "Oh look! A vortex, hehe…wait…who flushed the toilet?"

"Toilet?" Finn quickly got up at the sound of Jake's voice "Hey bro, what are you talking about-What the heck's the ocean doing?!" the human boy squealed falling on his butt and pulling himself away from the handrail.

"A whirpool…?" the Ice King asked leaning beside Jake.

"No…" Susan whispered walking to them "A maelstrom…"

"How do you?" the blue wizard inquired nervously.

The hyooman just shrugged "Our ship will be sucked. We gotta move!"

But what could our inexperienced sailors do about this new threat? The ship was already been pulled towards the center of the gigantic vortex, dragging them into the depths of the ocean. The wind and the salty waters fell over them like the powerful rain of a hurricane, there was no escape. They were trapped in the maelstrom.

"Just what we needed, huh?" Marceline laughed nervously "I guess we'll be getting wet!"

Finn ran over the ship's mast and embraced it like if his life depended on it, for him this had to be some kind of cruel nightmare. He couldn't believe that the ocean was going to suck him just like Jake said –as if someone had flushed the toilet–

"Gah! This is it! We're done!" the Ice King yelled running around the deck, his hands lifting his robe over his knees like an old lady would to avoid getting her dress wet.

"Don't panic guys!" Princess Bubblegum shouted "We've got to keep ourselves calmed if we want to get out of this aliv-…!" Something hit the ship fiercely "W-what was that?!"

Those who weren't afraid of the wild-running ocean walls that were surrounding them ran towards the bow searching for an answer. A roaring sound –which they were sure it wasn't the sea– filled their ears.

Without warning, a dragon-like head emerged from the water destroying the ship's boat and obviously sending our heroes backwards. It was a gigantic creature with wet green scales, long serpent-like neck with sharp spikes. Bubblegum calculated that the creature's head size was larger than their ship and it wasn't just one.

Soon other six reptile beasts sprung out of the enraged sea threatening to attack them. Jake rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"Is this a sea-dragon party or what?"

"They are not seven dragons, Jake…" Marceline said admiring the mighty monster before them "That's a Hydra… I've heard my father talking about keeping one as a pet but-…that's just crazy."

"Oh…" the golden bulldog simply replied in awe "So I guess…we're kinda dead now…"

"Yep…" the Vampire Queen shrugged "You guys are kinda dead now."

"_She_'s here…" Nemo gasped stumbling backwards "The goddess of the sea, Thalassa…"

"G-goddess?" Princess Bubblegum stammered, "How do we kill a goddess?"

"Easy…" Captain Omen chuckled "You can't."

The mighty sea beast plunged one of its heads over the pirate ship breaking it off into two halves. Billy quickly rushed forward calling Nothung.

"Well, partners… at least we gotta try!" the legendary hero declared raising his magical sword "Who's with me?"

"You can always count with us, froggy!" the Vampire Queen assured floating beside him with Jake, Bubblegum and Flame Princess behind her.

Meanwhile the Ice King jumped into a barrel to hide himself _"Don't count with me, I'm not planning to die, Ice King's still too young and handsome to end up at Davy Jones' Locker. No sir!"_

"_Wenk!"_

"_Gunther…! You've been here the whole time?" _

"_Wenk."_

"_You had me all worried silly boy!"_

Finn kept himself against the mast debating whether to jump into action or not. Billy, his hero, had just asked them to fight by his side in what will probably be a colossal battle and he was too scared to accept it. The human boy couldn't believe himself, even Flame Princess was fighting despite how highly dangerous and risky the situation was for a fire elemental. He felt the need of covering her; he should not allow her to get herself hurt.

"I'm the one who should be fighting instead…." The boy whispered sadly "C'mon Finn! You promised her to be brave! Let go of the mast now!"

…

"Now!"

….

"One, two, three… Now!"

…

He was still hugging the mast.

"Oh c'mon!" Finn protested feeling sick of his own cowardly.

"Finn… what are you doing?" Susan Strong asked getting closer to him "Just let go."

"You don't understand, Susan!" Finn moaned, "It's not as easy as it seems!"

"Finn, is just water! We both have brave heart. Remember?" the hyooman said grabbing his sides to pull him off the mast "Susan knows Finn's stronger than that!"

"Don't pull me, Sue! I'm not ready!" the young hero screeched tightening his grip on the mast "Just give me a sec…"

"Finn! No!" the hyooman woman insisted, "We need you! Please!"

She kept trying to pull him off but it seemed that Finn's fear was stronger than her rock-breaking muscles. Susan sighed giving up in the end. She would have loved to help him overcome his fear but if he didn't cooperate, all her efforts were going to be useless.

"No Susan! Don't go!" Finn shouted noticing that she was leaving him behind "I'll do it! I'll do it!"

Her green eyes shinned with joy at those words "That's the Finn Susan knows!"

The human boy walked away from his comfort zone watching his step, the wooden floor was wet and slippery. A wrong step could mean falling into the ocean.

"Look! I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" he celebrated cheerfully but…

The seven-headed sea snake hit the broken ship one more time in its furious attempt to sink it, making Finn lose his balance and slide down into the sea.

Luckily for him, Susan Strong was nearby to hold his hand in the last second.

"Finn okay?" the blonde woman asked with concern.

"Not at all!" the human boy screamed not being able to stop looking at the fierce waters beneath him "Pull me up! Please! Pull me up!"

"Hold on!" she replied leaning her bare feet against the handrail to keep herself up without using her arms "Susan won't let Finn fal-…!"

The Hydra's body collided with the pirate ship not willing to give up with her endless struggle to finish with our heroes' lives.

"Susan!" Finn shouted shutting his eyes in fear, he was sure that they were going to fall but to his surprise, Susan managed to keep themselves aboard somehow. "Dang… I own you one…" he whispered while she pulled him up once again.

Sadly he wasn't aware of his sword slipping down slowly, Finn only noticed that his father's blade wasn't attached to his backpack when Susan gasped at a red glimmer losing itself into the ocean.

"No! Dad's sword!" the young hero cried leaning downward "It's lost… I-I…can't fight that monster without it…"

"No worries!" the wild woman smiled elbowing him "Susan brings it back!"

And with those words, the fearless hyooman jumped from the "safety" of the pirate ship diving into the cold rotating mass of water.

"Susan! No!" Finn yelled hopelessly as her figure disappeared within the ocean. "Susan…"

"Finn! Where are you man?!" It was Jake's voice searching for him anxiously.

"I-…I'm here!" he replied weakly.

A yellow fur ball stretched by his side and smiled at him with relief "Glad I found bro! I thought that you were already drowned or something! You know? Because of the ocean and everything…" Jake noticed a shocked look on Finn's face "What is it?"

"Susan jumped into the vortex…"

"She did WHAT?!"

/

Susan swam using all her strength to avoid being dragged by the strong currents; the red sword was spinning downwards while the water pulled it towards the bottom. She frowned at this knowing that it was going to be a hard task to reach it.

The hyooman tried not to think about how deep she was getting herself into the ocean. Since she could remember, she had always been slightly different from the members of her tribe. When she was a child, Susan discovered that her lungs wouldn't allow her to stay underwater permanently like her friends did.

It was her shameful secret, the other hyooman kids would always mock her for not being able to play their diving games, like reaching Beautopia's bottom or finding blue sea shells with the elders.

That truth was that, as she grew older, Susan realized that, even when she and the other hyoomen were hunting octopuses for dinner or escaping from wild Lub Glubs, her poor diving skills turned her into a burden for the rest of the tribe.

Many things were far from her humble understanding, but sometimes Susan wished to know why was she the only hyooman who couldn't breathe underwater.

The pressure on her chest grew, there it was, the horrible sensation that would always bring sad childhood memories back to her mind, Susan knew that she had to push herself to her limits.

"_For Finn…!" _The courageous woman cried mentally, increasing her swimming speed.

Stupidly –and she had to admit– Susan gasped in astonishment at the colossal monster's body that was standing right beside her, letting go of the small amount of air that she was retaining inside her mouth.

The Hydra was even bigger than she would have thought; it had four massive legs that ended up in knife-like claws buried into the seafloor. Sharp spikes that covered its back and a long serpent tail were also part of its monstrous features. How in the world could Susan and her friends exterminate this titanic beast?

She felt her heart hitting her chest desperately; there was no time to figure that out, her lungs were screaming for air. Susan had to hurry or she'd pass out and drown.

/

Finn and Jake stared at the giant whirlpool gritting their teeth in distress. "Why isn't Susan coming out?" the young human asked.

"Ugh…" the dog scanned the water searching for some sign of the hyooman warrior "Maybe she was just slowed down a little because of the strong currents…Yeah, that's it! Don't worry, after all, Susie's from the fish people remember?"

"Jake…that's not…" Finn tried to explain but his words trailed off at the sound of Marceline's warning.

"Watch out guys!" the vampire cried just as one of the seven heads crashed over them.

The magical dog reacted reaching out for the other half of the pirate ship with his stretched arms and used it to pull their half away from the incoming attack.

"Phew…" the golden bulldog sighed, "That was a close one, huh?"

"Thalassa!" Captain Omen cried, he was standing on the other half with his brother and what was left of his pirate crew "I'm here to free us from your curse! Come here and face your fate!"

The sea serpent retracted its seven heads back hissing at him, she seemed to recognize his voice and that made her even angrier. No one had expected the Hydra to whip her enormous tail out of the water and smash the two captains and the pirate crew with it.

"D-Dang…" Marceline stammered at the scene.

Jake molded a sailor hat over his head and took it off lowering his sight "So long Captain Nemo, sir."

"HEY!" A scream made the gang snap out of their solemn "good-bye" and gasp in disbelief after spotting Susan Strong fighting to keep herself on the Hydra's waving tail. "CAN YOU HELP?"

"Susan!" Finn shouted joyfully forgetting about his fallen captain "Hold on! I-… The others are coming for you!"

"FINN!" the gang yelled at him in disapproval.

In any case, it wasn't necessary to save the hyooman after all. The Hydra simply decided to repeat her annihilating action by slamming their half of the ship as well. Flame Princess reacted rapidly by fire-blasting the sea monster's tail, the heat made her stop the attack just before she could hit their small piece of ship letting Susan land on the deck.

"Are you okay?" the fiery girl asked rushing to the wet hyooman's side.

Susan stumbled up shaking her head to get rid of the water on her blonde hair "Yeah…" she looked for Finn "Here!"

She smiled with pride handing him the Demon Blood sword.

"Wow Susan…You did it!" the boy congratulated returning the smile "But…how?"

"Susan rode the monster's tail to get out of water fast!"

"Ain't you a smart gal?" Marceline chuckled elbowing her "I would have never come up with such a clever idea!"

"Talking about clever ideas…" Jake the Dog began "How can we beat this beast?"

"Well… I would start by getting rid of the extra heads…" Billy suggested, "I have a plan, but first we need to find the ice wizard."

A barrel rolled passing right in front of them. Marceline sighed following it and stopped its rolling by placing her foot over it.

"You mean this jerk?" the Vampire Queen inquired flipping it over with a kick to reveal the Ice King's hiding.

"Oh! Hi there! I-I was just…" the blue wizard mumbled blushing "Oh! I found Gunter!" he smiled nervously "You can stop worrying now, I found the little guy!"

"Get out, jerk!" Marceline ordered pushing him down and took off the wooden container "We need your help…"

"Can you create an ice sword or something sharp with your magic?" the legendary hero asked expectantly.

"Yeah, of course! That's too easy!"

"Excellent! Now here's the plan, Flame Princess I want you to get the attention of the seven heads."

The young princess nodded.

"Jake, when the seven heads are distracted I want you to stretch your arms and pull them down."

The magical dog gave him a thumb up "No prob, Billy!"

"Susan, you'll have to catch that thing's tail and keep it away from the rest of us, got it?"

"Yeah!"

"When the seven heads are down the rest of us will run down their necks and slash them off, we are only five so when someone finishes with one switch immediately to the other two, is that clear?"

"Teamwork… I like it!" Marceline smiled "Let's do this guys!"

/

"Hey you, multi-headed-worm!" the fiery girl shouted flying around the sea monster "Catch me if you can!" she sang making mocking faces at her.

Two heads roared fiercely at her trying to reach her flames, but Flame Princess dodged them with ease flying in circles. Then she fired at the other heads to pick their interest.

"Hey c'mon! Knock me down, all of you!" Flame P yelled before sticking her tongue out at them.

The creature widened its fourteen eyes in indignation making the seven heads bare their razor sharp fangs at her.

"That's it! What are you waiting for!" Flame P teased leading them towards Jake.

"Here comes cowboy Jake with his seven lassos ready to bring down this nasty sea bull!"

The golden bulldog threw seven stretched arms at the Hydra capturing each and every head without a fail, then he grew in size and weight to pull them down making them crash on the wrecked ship's deck.

"Yeehaw! Guys I did it!" Jake announced giving the others the sign to jump into the action.

The sea serpent had to obviously use her last resort and swung her tail at the gang just like Susan expected. The hyooman was waiting with open arms, ready to catch the tail and tame it with the strength of her muscles while Billy, Finn, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline and the Ice King climbed over the heads and ran down their necks.

"Here goes!" the legendary hero shouted lifting Nothung and used its blade to cut through the Hydra's scales, muscle and bones ripping off its head "Number one's done!" he exclaimed jumping onto another neck to repeat his last action.

"Head two's gone!" Princess Bubblegum replied after slashing the monster with her Root sword.

"Three and four have been erased!" the Vampire Queen added spinning her shiny axe over her.

"Yeawk…guys…are you sure about-…" the Ice King was about to complain after checking on his teammate's headless Hydra stumps.

"ICE KING!"

"All right! All right! Geez!" the wizard moaned summoning a sharp icy blade on his hand "Head five… Be gone!"

"I'm done with the sixth one, Finn the rest is up to you!" Billy cried enthusiastically.

"Don't look down, don't look down…." The human boy whispered as he crawled down the seventh head slowly. The ocean was right beneath him, which explains his strange behavior.

"Hurry up will ya!" Marceline shouted impatiently.

"I'm on it!"

The Ice King stared at the headless stump with disgust, especially when the blood and muscle began to bubble weirdly.

"Um…guys…" he called scratching the back of his head "This is creeping me out!"

Princess Bubblegum rolled her eyes in annoyance "Listen you're not the only one who's disgusted so-!"

"But this thing is doing something WEIRD!" the Ice King cried in exasperation.

"Huh?" the vampire fixed her eyes on the stump narrowing them to look closely "Oh shit…"

"Marceline, what did I just say about-…!" Bubblegum was about to complain.

"We shouldn't have cut this thing's heads!"

"What? Marceline what are you…?" Something grew out of the headless neck and divided itself in two "What's the meaning of this?!"

"Get off, everyone!" Marceline warned, "I forgot to mention that…if you cut one of its heads…two more will grow back!"

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah, what?!" Finn shouted trying to keep his balance on the creature's neck "I can't hear anything from here!"

"GET OFF THE BEAST!"

The sea serpent rose without warning carrying the human boy with her, he didn't have the chance to make his move and cut the main head. Now they had to deal with twelve new stinky breaths plus the original one.

"Whoa! Someone get me down!" Finn cried, he didn't want to fall into the ocean.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" Flame Princess replied dashing towards him.

She never got to reach him; it was impossible get through that dense jungle of teeth and spikes threatening to take her down. The fire girl tried by morphing herself into different trails of flames, so she could confuse the heads.

"Flame P!" the human boy shrieked searching for her desperately; he couldn't see her among the entangled serpent necks.

"Hey, missed me?" her voice called behind him.

"H-how…where…did you?" Finn asked not being able to tell how the flaming girl managed to fly across the twelve fierce heads to reach him.

"I just used a small trick." Flame Princess answered "Give me your hand and I'll get us out of here…"

Finn smiled at her with delight, he was glad of being rescued even if that was sorta humiliating for a "badass hero", for him things always looked differently and even pleasant when she had something to do with them, just like with the clown nurses' healing treatment.

He reached for her hand trying not to slide down because of the wet scales from where he was clinging to; the boy could barely grasp Flame Princess' fingers when one of the dragon-like heads rose behind her.

"F-Flame P, look out!" the young hero cried in terror.

She whipped back to face the monster but she wasn't able to dodge its attack, the reptile's fangs got her wounded arm and pulled her down. Flame Princess saw the sea right beneath her and used her other arm to fire a blast that could push her into the safety of the broken ship, her body hit the deck hardly. She quickly covered her aching wound with her hand not being able to believe that, in a moment she was about to save Finn and now she was back on the floor writhing in pain.

"Why you?!" Finn shouted angrily squeezing the main head's neck in vain "You'll pay for that!"

The Hydra roared shaking him off, the human flew over the other many sea monsters falling inside the crow's nest.

Flame Princess tried to get up but the pain in her arm was too much to bear, she was feeling sick of the whole situation, sick of the ship, sick of the ocean and over all… sick of that sea monster.

"I had enough!" she shouted furiously letting her flames grow.

The fierce princess grew into a fire being keeping some traits of her former form, she wasn't as big as the Hydra but she was large enough to kick its butt.

"Uh-oh…" the Vampire Queen gasped flying faster to reach her "Hey Flame P, calm down!" She knew that she couldn't allow her to get even madder, not after Princess Bubblegum's warning "Bonnibel…! I've got to tell Bonnibel!"

Marceline lowered her height searching for the unconscious candy princess somewhere on the destroyed deck. A small sigh of relief left her lips once she had spotted her.

"Princess, hey! Wake up!" the vampire yelled shaking her anxiously "We've got trouble with miss hot stuff here!"

"We…what?" Bubblegum mumbled barely opening her eyes, the fight between the angry fire elemental and gigantic sea monster happening right in front of her, made her snap out of her trance "Oh my…! Marceline we can't-!"

"I know! I know!"

Princess Bubblegum shook her head remembering her sedative gun, she quickly pulled it out of her pocket and aimed at the fierce column of fire "I'll knock her out, after the dart hits her you must fly and catch her!"

"Right, just do it!"

Flame Princess was now holding four heads with her hands while the rest of her body drifted over the roaring ocean; she was focused in just one thing. Killing the sea beast at all cost.

"I'm sorry Flame Princess… this is for your own sake!" the candy ruler shouted pulling the trigger.

The small dart hit her shoulder spreading the sedative chemicals through her running blood; the fire beast quickly lost her sudden outburst of rage, her body returned to its normal form while her consciousness faded away and her heart beats lowered their speed. In a matter of seconds Flame Princess was falling unconsciously into the ocean.

"Marceline now!"

The vampire girl flew at lightning speed, without noticing the monster's tail coming right after her. In a fraction of time it slammed the Vampire Queen against the pirate ship's main mast, Marceline fell out the game.

"I…I think I broke my…something…ugh…"

The crash made the human boy react; he peeked out at the wrecked ship spotting an orange glimmer heading into the ocean.

"Flame Princess!" he heard Princess Bubblegum scream frantically "Glob, what have I done?!"

Then it hit him, that glimmer was Flame Princess! His body acted before his brain could process what he was doing, Finn jumped from the mast reaching out for one of the large heads and ran down its neck swinging his sword at anything that dared to get on his way. He had to reach her before…

"Gah!" the young hero shouted once the ocean was on sight.

He just had to keep running down the monster back and jump into the water, then he'd guess what to do to keep Flame Princess afloat, just that, it would be all but his feet didn't obey him.

The nightmare was back.

"_**Haha! I knew that you wouldn't dare!" **_ The Fear Feaster's voice echoed in his mind _**"You're not worthy of calling yourself a hero! You're a coward!"**_

"NO! I'll save her!" Finn shouted covering his ears.

"_**Then what are you waiting for? You're running out of time little prince…hehe!" **_

The boy made three steps forward, he had to do it. He had to jump or Flame Princess would be gone forever.

"_**Ha! This is to good to be true!" **_Fear laughed filling the young hero's mind with his voice.

"C'mon Finn!" he shouted pushing himself forward "Just do it!"

"_**You won't, that's it you lose…coward!"**_

_"If I fell into the ocean…will you jump after me to save my life?" _a flashback pierced his mind._  
_

"Finn you idiot!" the human yelled pulling his hair "Jump!"

"_**I knew, I always did! You are even hesitating, what kind of hero does that when his dame's life is in mortal danger?" **_

_"Wh-why is taking you so long to answer? You're making me nervous…"_

"Jump now!" Finn shouted leaning forward to the edge "Jump now! Jump now! Jump down!"

"_**It's useless, you can't save her! Hahaha, you won't! Finn the hero will let his own princess die, hehe, and he'll live with the shame forever!"**_

"Flame P, I need to save you!"

"_**You can't and you won't, give up sea rat! Haha, you'll never save her life!"**_

"_You save my life everyday…"_

Finn opened his eyes, Flame Princess passed by just in front of him and the ocean wasn't far. "I… I'll save you…"

"_**What?"**_

"You'd better keep your stupid mouth shut, you hear me Fear?!" the young hero said harshly as he approached towards the edge of the sea serpent's back "I'm coming for you Flame Princess…"

"_**W-what do you think you're doing?! Stop it!" **_ Fear Feaster shouted in astonishment as Finn bent over to jump. _**"You can't be doing this, you're not brave enough!"**_

"I promised her I'd be brave!" Finn claimed and leaped into the ocean.

"_**Unbelievable…!" **_Fear squealed.

The young hero fell after the fire girl stretching his arms to reach her, some drops of salty water driven by the wind hit his face but he didn't freaked out, the ocean couldn't affect him now that Flame Princess had something to do with it.

"Just…a little…more!" he whispered as he struggled to grasp her body "Got ya!"

Finn laughed in excitement, he had done it! He had finally beaten his fear and Flame Princess was now save in his arms but for how long?

"Now how can I stop our fall?!" yelled finally freaking out, now he had a reason to be afraid of the ocean. If Flame P's body entered in contact with the water she would die.

"Jake! Marceline! Glob even the Ice King would be useful! Someone help me!"

The sea was close now, all he could do was to hold her tight wrapping his body around her and hope for a miracle or something to happen. Their bodies were about to hit the cold waters when, from out of nowhere, one of the twelve fierce heads appeared beneath them opening its maw to swallow them. And she did swallow them…

/

Finn shuddered in his sleep; he didn't know what could have happened to Flame Princess and him but…wait… His nose twitched softly sniffing the scent of roasted fish, and his stomach growled after that.

"Who's…cooking that? J-Jake?" the boy mumbled waking up.

"Hi there boy, it was about time!" a funny voice greeted "Are you hungry? 'Cause I got some fresh fish on the fire, hehe!"

Finn rubbed his face lazily before turning to the guy who was speaking to him, he found a skinny man sitting on an old raft with a ragged sail. He was wearing a white shirt and black pants, actually, his outfit looked a lot like Marceline's dad clothes just that he wasn't wearing a black coat or a tie with it.

The man turned around him and smiled at him, Finn noticed that he had slanted eyes with wrinkles around them and a short black beard under his lips, his hair was tied into a ponytail and was covered with an old straw hat.

"W-who are you?"

"Park Jung Min…" the man replied calmly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Finn gasped in confusion.

"Park-Jung-Min, my name!" he said handing a roasted fish "Do you have one?"

"A fish?"

"A name, boy!"

"I- I'm Finn…" the human boy answered awkwardly.

"Glad to meet you, Park Jung Min!"

"No, I said Finn!"

"And I said Park Jung Min! Hey, it's been a while since I last talked to anyone!"

"Where are we, huh?"

"Inside the Hydra's belly, why?" Mr. Park chuckled "I've been trapped here for so many years…! It's nice to have some company now! Go tell the girl to wake up and we'll play a board game!"

"Wha...? Flame Princess!" the boy gasped searching for her, the young princess was lying beside him and she seemed to be sleeping peacefully "She's okay…" he sighed gladly.

"Flame P… hey…" he didn't like to interrupt her sleep but they had to find a way to escape from the monster's guts "Hey…"

The girl opened her eyes slowly and rose with a yawn "Hi Finn…" she greeted him unaware of their situation "Is that food, Grod I'm hungry!"

"Here my dear, we have plenty of fish to endure a lifetime of hunger inside the beast!" Mr. Park said giving her a fish.

"Flame P, wait…why aren't you scared?!" Finn wondered, she could have died a few hours ago; they were inside a monster's belly and she was thinking in food? What was wrong with her?"

"I don't know what are you talking about." Flame Princess replied giving a bite to her fish "I just feel relaxed and calm…" she swallowed.

"Maybe it has something to do with the thingy on her shoulder…" the weird man suggested.

Finn walked closer to the young princess and pulled the dart out.

"Hey, that hurt!" she complained.

"Sorry, what the math is this?" the boy wondered showing the small dart to her.

"Hey, I've seen that thing before!" Flame Princess gasped in surprise "That's from Princess Bubblegum's weird gun! It paralyzes foes or something like that."

"Wait, if this belongs to PB what is it doing on your shoulder?"

Flame Princess shrugged "Perhaps she missed her target…"

"Dang…" Finn whispered, "This thing could have killed you, did you know that?"

The princess was about to reply him when an electronic voice moaned tiredly inside Finn's backpack.

"Huh?" Finn swung it off and opened it letting Beemo's face pop out.

"Whoa, thanks Finn… I was choking in there!" the video game thanked.

Mr. Park flinched and jumped from his seat at the sound of the computer's voice.

"I-Impossible…Beemo? Is that you?" the old man asked in disbelief.

"M-Mr. Park Jung Min!?"

Thus, Fear was finally defeated by the young hero but… Are they ever going to escape from the Hydra's guts? And why does Beemo know this mysterious man? Stay tuned for the answers and more in the next chapter!

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Hi there! I'm in a hurry, I have College soon but since I just finished this chapter and some of you can't wait for it, hehe, I'm posting it now but I haven't checked any grammar n' stuff. I'll do it later so, excuse me if you find any grammatical atrocities. Enjoy, comment and see ya later! :)

Oh Glob, where's my backpack?

**_31/10/12 Update!_**

Every grammar and spelling mistakes have been corrrected. Missing words have been found. XD**_  
_**


	36. Wherever the Wind Blows!

Tale 36: Wherever the wind blows!

"No! Not you again! I'm not going back!" Beemo shrieked and scurried into Finn's shirt.

The boy fell backwards not really expecting that kind of reaction from his video game friend and giggled uncontrollably at the feeling of small plastic hands and feet rushing over his stomach. Soon his laughter turned into annoyed moans as the green robot stomped all over his face taking off his shirt in the process.

"I won't! I won't!" the console cried running around like a blue ghost with a squared shape.

"B-Beemo! Stop running, will ya?!" a bothered Finn yelled chasing the blue ghost. If he was going to be covered with sea monster saliva, he should at least be able to cover his bare and cold skin with something. "And give me back my shirt!"

"Yes Beemo, give him back his shirt!" Mr. Park replied while he stuck more fishes on sticks to roast them "Then you can apologize for abandoning me, naughty boy!"

Flame Princess was still acting out of her usual behavior; she looked a little dizzy but she had some sort of serenity that helped her to remain calm and oblivious to everything around her. Maybe it was a side effect from Bubblegum's dart, or maybe she was too shocked to be aware of where she was at the moment, but it any case, it was like if all her temper was gone. The fire girl rubbed her eyes and took a sit next to the old man.

"May I have another one?"

"Sure, here ya go…" Park Jung Min said giving her a roasted fish "At least somebody here is hungry!" he yelled turning back at Finn and BMO in an attempt to catch their attention.

"Huh?" the young hero ignored the weird man's rambling and focused on getting back his shirt. He couldn't tell why Beemo was acting so crazily or why did it want to hide under his clothes but he'll guess that after pulling his shirt out of the robot's grasp.

"No! No! No!" the shirt slipped out of its hands causing the video game to fall and roll backwards "Ugh…okay, fine! I quit!"

Beemo stamped his face on the sticky muscle tissue (let's say it was the "ground") groaning quietly while Finn stared at it in confusion. After putting on his shirt back, the boy sighed and knelt down next to the small robot patting its back.

"Hey buddy, can you tell me what's wrong?"

"It's a matter of honor Finn, I can't face that man because of the shame…"

The human boy looked puzzled, he knew that Beemo was sometimes or, well…most of the time weird and mysterious. Weird because of all the silly stuff the green console does when it thinks nobody's watching and mysterious because, to be honest, Finn had no idea of where did Beemo come from. The talking video game just appeared from out of nowhere to brighten up one of his darkest days and from then on, Beemo had always been there.

"What shame Beemo?" the young hero asked picking it up. The console immediately covered its screen with its hands.

"The shame of being that man's creation!"

Finn gave a shocked look to the little guy in his arms "You mean? That Park Chung Wun is your dad?!"

"Park Jung Min!" said man replied being totally ignored by the human.

"Yeah…" Beemo sighed, "Please let me keep my honor unstained…"

The young hero placed the video game back on the ground and smiled calmly "Okay then…if it helps you feel better, I'll give you my hat for a while."

Finn watched the small computer pulling the white bear hat down its head and tried to suppress a giggle after noticing how cute Beemo looked with it.

"Thanks Finn, you have given peace to my altered conscience…" Beemo whispered making a small bow "Now I can face my father with dignity.

"Ugh? That's great!" the human responded doubtfully.

Mr. Park watched his fishes carefully, waiting for the perfect roast. They had to be golden and crispy not burnt and smoky like the red-haired girl by his side said she'd eat. Cooking had been his only entertainment for years, he was an expert now and he wasn't going to let a fiery hooligan tell him how to do it.

"Ummm…Mister, don't get mad at her…" Finn requested taking a sit by the fire "She's from the Fire Kingdom and people love burnt things there."

"Well, this place is certainly _not _the Fire Kingdom! We don't burn things here except wood from wrecked ships and toilet paper, is that clear?"

Finn backed off a little covering his ears, he was expecting his girlfriend's head to explode in flames while she yelled furiously at the old man but that never happened. The fire elemental girl remained cool just focused on munching her fish.

"Flame Princess…are you alright?" he asked pocking her undamaged shoulder.

She swallowed and smiled back "Yeah, why shouldn't I?"

"Well, maybe because we have been swallowed by a gigantic monster, while our friends are fighting to survive in the middle of the ocean?" the adventurer explained trying not to sound sarcastic.

Flame Princess shrugged and yawned softly "I'm sleepy…" that was her only and confusing answer before she leaned on Finn's shoulder and fell asleep.

"Me too!" Beemo exclaimed snuggling on the boy's side to do the same (Well, not exactly the same. It put itself on standby mode).

"What? How can you two-…?! This is not the time to rest, and you Beemo can't possibly be tired! I just checked your batteries; you're only doing this to avoid talking to your dad, right?! Beemo…Beemo!"

"Let it do whatever it wants…" Mr. Park sighed, "You should get some rest too."

Finn held the princess carefully and laid her over his lap; he didn't want her to fall while he wasn't watching her. "I don't get what's wrong with her, this isn't how she usually-…"

"Behaves?" Mr. Park interjected.

"Yeah… She's been acting weird since I woke her, like if she didn't care about anything!"

"Perhaps the effect of the thingy you yanked from her shoulder hasn't worn off, being awake is not the same as being conscious you know?" the man grinned gently.

"Oh…" Finn began to stroke Flame Princess' hair lightly "You seem like a nice guy, I don't see why Beemo is so angry at you…"

Mr. Park blew some sweaty bangs from his forehead with a nostalgic sigh "Beemo is not mad at me, the little guy just thinks _he_ is."

"He? So Beemo is a he?" the curiosity sparkled on the teenager's face, there were sometimes when he and Jake never knew how to refer to the green console.

"Well not really, Beemo's genderless but you could say that it has the mentality of a little boy."

"Oh… And why is _he_-? I mean, why does he think he's mad at you?"

"That's a long story my boy, basically Beemo believes I'm a cheater and a…thief… I just chose the wrong path several years ago but that doesn't mean I'm a jerk, right?" the man chuckled.

"Everyone makes mistakes…" Finn smiled "Even the people we trust the most."

He finished that phrase staring at the shiny dart in his hand and wondered if Bubblegum and the others were okay. The human felt tired all of a sudden, his body was exhausted even though he woke up from his unconsciousness a few minutes ago.

"It's okay to feel tired, I'm sleepy too." Jung Min commented with a yawn "We could join Beemo and the girl for awhile…"

"You don't understand." Finn frowned "We gotta get out and beat this monster!"

"Young man, I've been here for…!" Mr. Park stared at his hand and counted with his fingers "Ugh…many years! It's impossible to leave the Hydra's guts and it's impossible to kill her!"

"Right…whenever one of her heads are chopped off, two more grow back." the adventurer replied pensively "We just have to find a way to prevent that from happening! That's how we'll defeat the Hydra!"

"Ha! You'll have to cauterize her necks or something like that, pfft! But that's impossible, pure fantasy!" the man got up from the ground and walked to his raft to grab a fishing rod "I'm gonna go get more food… You should take a rest, boy!"

"Cauterize? Yeah…" Finn grinned with determination "That's it! Hehe, I know how to defeat this watery beast!"

The determined hero sprung up with excitement clenching his fists; of course he forgot that Beemo and Flame Princess were sleeping over him and now the two were moaning on the sticky floor.

/

"Marceline…" a friendly voice called.

Her hand rubbed the splintered wood beneath her aching body, a prickle needling her finger made her react. The Vampire Queen opened her eyelids and brought her body forward unwillingly.

"Stupid…thing…!" she complained pulling out the splinter with her teeth.

"Marcy…are you okay?" there was that worried voice again.

Marceline licked the blood from her finger and raised her sight, her vision was still a little blurry but she was able to recognize the yellow and chubby figure that was standing next to her.

"Jake? What happened?"

"Umm… that multi-headed sea monster literary mopped the floor with us…" the dog answered "And…it smashed you against the main mast."

"Really? That explains why I'm feeling so numb…" Marceline felt the impulse of getting back on her feet but she couldn't.

"Hey, let me help you." The magical dog suggested warping his arm around her "Are you in pain?" he asked noticing her gritted fangs.

"Only the whole way from my heels to my head." The vampire joked, "Don't worry, I've been worst."

She sniffed the air knowing that her sight wasn't going to be of help thanks to the thick mist that was surrounding them. Marceline raised her hand and messed her hair with an intrigued look.

The sea was mysteriously serene all of a sudden, the maelstrom was gone and a soft breeze was blowing. The sky remained gray but there was no trace of wildlife, like seagulls, albatrosses or the Hydra.

"Wasn't a thirteen-headed sea snake trying to wreck us over there?"

Jake scratched his head "When I woke up the monster was gone and I was alone. I've been looking for Finn and the others since then and that's how I found you."

"The others?" Marceline whispered feeling the wind. Then a flashback hit her mind.

_"I'll knock her out, after the dart hits her you must fly and catch her!" Princess Bubblegum instructed aiming her gun at the fierce fire elemental._

_"Right, just do it!" Marceline replied getting ready to shoot herself towards her friend, she wouldn't let her fall into the ocean but unfortunately, the monster's tail reached her before she could even do something about it._

"Flame Princess!" the Vampire Queen gasped in terror "S-she didn't fall into the sea, right? Jake?"

"I-I…I don't know…"

/

She glanced at her wounded arm fighting to suppress the pain; it had been stabbed by the Demon Blood sword and then almost ripped off by the sharp razor teeth of the legendary Hydra. Flame Princess wondered if even with the help of the Cyclops' tears her forearm would return to be the same.

At least the effect of the drug that Bubblegum shot at her to keep her elemental matrix stabilized had worn off even if that meant regaining consciousness of the pain that was striking her body and the uncertainty of not knowing where she was.

"What happened…?" that was all she could mutter, her throat was dry and so was her mouth. It was hard to speak and drinking some water was definitely out of a fire elemental's limits.

"Flame Princess? Is it finally you?" a blonde boy asked excitedly reaching for her shoulders.

His question made her even more confused. Of course it was her, who else would she be? "Finn…what are you talking about? And how did we… get here?"

The young princess couldn't have ever imagined that she was inside a monster's belly, that's why her boyfriend's answer led her to think he was delirious.

"We are inside the Hydra! Now that's what I call being lucky!" Finn smiled still holding her shoulders "I thought we weren't going to make it when we almost hit the ocean!"

Flame Princess frowned and tilted her head slightly "Why would we…hit the ocean?"

Finn grinned nervously "You mean? You don't remember anything?!" he wasn't really bothered at all, he was just surprised that he did something truly heroic by overcoming his greatest fear for her and she couldn't even remember it "Glob, I'm not doing that again! You missed it!"

"Finn, seriously you're messing up my brain!"

The boy lowered his gaze and sighed with resignation "Nah, it's nothing…" he grabbed her hand and helped her get up "C'mon we need to a find a way to get us out of here."

"_Oh Grod, why?! I really wanted Flame Princess to see that! Guess sometimes, heroes go unnoticed…" _

Park Jung Min was sitting on the edge of the monster's throat; probably his fishing line could go down all the way to the beast's stomach where the fishes were. The man turned around noticing three shadows on the wall, they were Finn, Flame Princess and Beemo (who was now pulling the bear hat down to cover his screen)

"You might not remember this guy, but he's a friend." Finn said introducing the girl to Mr. Park.

"Oh, you're back!" he laughed, "That's wonderful, look I've got more fishes!" Min pulled out a bundle of fresh fish and showed it to them proudly.

"Nice, I'm starving!" the princess exclaimed snatching them while Finn stroke his hair in amusement, she couldn't even remember she had already eaten.

Flame Princess lit her fingers to overcook her meal, just like she liked it. A puff of smoke was soon spread around them annoying the heck out of Beemo's father.

"No! No! I told you not to burn them!" the man coughed glaring at the girl "We don't burn things here! How many times do I have to-? ***cough! cough!*** Glob, I've got bronchitis!"

"Hey don't yell at me! I didn't know! I'm sorry, okay?!" Flame Princess shouted back, causing the human boy to smile with relief. Her temper was back. She was finally back.

The poor man couldn't keep arguing with her, his lungs wouldn't allow it. He just coughed and coughed crazily spitting at them and this gave Finn a brilliant idea.

"What if…we give this monster bronchitis? We'd be coughed up in seconds!"

"***Cough! Cough!*** No way!" Mr. Park replied, "You'd just piss her off! There's no way to get out of here, I already told you that! _What a stubborn boy…_"

"But, we can't stay here forever!" Finn asserted "Flame P, Beemo, what do you say?"

"Let's do it, this place stinks!"

"Yeah!" the video game stuck out his pixelated tongue "It's three against one!"

So, with Mr. Park's approval or not, Finn and his friends gathered all the wood they could find and placed it near the Hydra's throat. Then they prepared the small raft by pushing it over the beast's tongue and set its ragged sail ready to be blown by the Hydra's breath.

The four of them sat on the raft holding on to whatever they could and at Finn's signal Flame Princess shot a fiery bullet at the stacked wood to set it on fire. The flames rose slowly licking the sea monster's muscles, quiet growls could be heard echoing through its throat as Thalassa inhaled the smoke.

"Okay everyone, ready?" Finn announced with enthusiasm.

Beemo waddled toward the boy and hugged his leg tightly "I think so…" he gulped.

"This isn't a good idea, this isn't a good idea, this isn't a good idea…" Mr. Park repeated toying with his boney fingers.

"Will you stop that?!" Flame P growled in annoyance "You're making me nervous!"

She shook off her nerves fixing her eyes at the Hydra's shiny teeth in the distance, once a small gap forms between them they be out at the ocean's mercy. She'll have to endure the stinging drops hitting her already jacked up body again, Flame Princess was completely uncomfortable with the idea but there weren't many options left. The girl sighed trying to digest those facts, she knew she could bear it.

Then she felt Finn's arms wrapping around her, she looked up nervously and saw him smile.

"I'll try to keep you dry, everything's gonna be fine okay?"

Sometimes she felt like believing that Finn's arms were the safest place on earth even if they really weren't. Just knowing that he was there for her could reassure her own fading courage. Finn could always cause that effect on everyone, especially on her.

"Yeah…" the girl finally said not being able to hide her reddened cheeks. "Thank you."

/

The Hydra's eyes were opened abruptly, after destroying and "killing" her preys she had swum to the ocean floor where she was supposed to restart her slumber. The anger quickly built inside the mythical beast, one of her heads was drowning in a cloud of smoke. She tried to shake it off but that didn't work, with a roar the mighty reptile fired herself into the water spinning around the depths in attempt to clear her lungs.

The smoky head was now choking, she had to swim toward the surface and cough that up quickly. Her long neck rose disturbing the salty waters, the beast had trouble breathing. She began to contract her muscles to expulse the thick puffs that were clouding her airways. Who knew a reptile could cough like that?

A flapping figure was watching the whole scene from the sky, using his wizard eyes though he really didn't need them. It was the Ice King; he was helping Jake and Marceline with their search. Some of his teammates were still missing, Finn and Flame Princess to be exact.

"Why…?" the wizard mumbled squinting thoughtfully "Is that dragon…smoking?"

The Ice King decided to ignore it; he didn't want to call the beast's attention and lead her toward the others, no he had to go back and tell them that there was no trace of the fire girl or Finn.

Billy, Princess Bubblegum and Jake were waiting on a floating piece of what used to be Omen's pirate ship; they received Marceline after an hour of waiting for her. She looked distressed and they knew what that meant.

The vampire shook her head slowly as she landed "I used all my senses, I swear! But I couldn't find them anywhere…"

Susan Strong's head popped out of the water and Jake hurried to help her get on floating piece of ship "Susan…tried…" she panted "They didn't…sink…"

Princess Bubblegum combed her messed hair backwards using her fingers "Gob, I… I swear I saw Finn jumping after her! How could they disappear like this?!" she buried her face between her knees "This is my fault…!"

"No…" the golden bulldog whispered walking toward her "It's not like if you had shot Flame P down or something… How could you prevent this from happening, huh?" he patted her shoulder trying to comfort her "I'm sure they are okay, somewhere…"

Bubblegum bit her tongue in frustration, she wanted cry out loud how wrong Jake was but she couldn't.

"Heeeey! I'm baaaack!" someone screeched.

Gunter, who was floating around in an empty barrel, raised his flipper and pointed the gray skies with starry eyes "Wenk!"

"I think he's daddy's back…" Billy murmured covering his eyes to get a better view.

"Hey Bubblegum, are you sure you don't want me to give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?"

"Yep, it's him…" the old hero sighed rolling his eyes.

The blue old man flapped his beard downward and landed on the middle of them "I have to things to tell ya, one of them is bad news and the other is weird news…"

"Weird news? What about the good news?!" Jake barked in frustration.

"Look man, I'm not in charge of the 'News Distribution Center' or anything! Don't get mad at me!" the Ice King yelled pointing him with his sparking finger.

"Ice King please…" Bubblegum called while she rubbed her temple "Just tell us what you found."

"Right!" he began to walk in circles "Bad news first! I think Finn and the fire girl are dead! Weird news next! I-…"

"WHAT?!" Jake cried in horror, "How can you say that all of a sudden?! That's the worst way of telling that kind of news!"

"And how do you want me to say it?! 'Hey guys don't worry, I think Finn's dead! Let's go buy some flowers and bury him in the backyard, then we can rent _Finding Nemo_ so everyone's happy…!' Is that how you want it?!"

"NO!"

"Then how should I-?!"

"Guys!" Princess Bubblegum yelled, "Jake calm down for a second, will you? And Ice King, what makes feel so sure about your words? How do you know they're dead?"

The Ice King shrugged "Nothing really, I just couldn't find them anywhere…"

"Grrr…You see Princess?!" Jake growled angrily "Can't you see what this fool's saying?!"

"Listen dog, I'm just connecting the dots! That girl is made of fire, is she falls she dies! And Finn probably drowned because he got paralyzed by his illogical fear to the ocean!"

"That would be a terrible scenario…" Marceline gulped. Billy gave her a nod.

"W-we have already stated that making assumptions and worrying about them is a waste of time…" the candy princess said recurring to her common sense and natural leadership to remain calm "Ice King please explain what do you mean by 'weird news'".

The blue man blinked "What weird news are you talking about?" the magical dog finally lose his patience and bit the Ice King's butt. "Yaoow! Okay, okay, I remember now! I just saw a sea monster smoking on my way here!"

"Smoking?!" Billy replied, "Explain yourself!"

"Well, there were lots of smoke coming out from its mouth and nose!"

"S-smoke?" Bubblegum whispered widening her eyes.

"That's gotta be Flame P!" Marceline assured with renewed enthusiasm "And maybe Finn's with her, we should check that out, now!"

"Right…" the sugary ruler accented "Ice King, lead the way!"

/

The smoky head was annoyed by its own coughing, it hit the water in sudden burst of rage while inside her a castaway, a video game, a human and a princess struggled to remain calm.

"I told you, now she's pissed off and we're going to die!" Mr. Park yelled embracing the weak mast of his poorly built raft.

"Quit it already man!" Finn yelled angrily still holding the princess to his chest "We don't have time for pessimists right now!"

"Shame on you!" Beemo exclaimed lifting Finn's hat to stare at his creator "Weren't you the one who always said: 'Leave luck to heaven'? When did you stop believing in that, huh?"

The man widened his eyes in astonishment "Be-Beemo… You still remember my catch phrase?" he sobbed, "You never really forgot about me, did you?"

"I'm still not proud of you crazy old man, but I have always been proud of being your son. You were once a wise man who used to work hard to make people happy, that's why you created me and that's what I've been doing all these years."

Mr. Park retrieved his tears with a loud sniff and clenched his fist, "You're right, my boy! Let's leave luck to heaven! Maybe Grod's on our side today!"

The Hydra's guts rumbled. Something good or bad was about to happen; they noticed a small ray of light growing before them. The head was finally opening its jaws! Soon the ocean's water filled the place and their raft got afloat.

Flame Princess felt Finn's grip on her tightening but she was more than sure that he wasn't doing it just to keep her save; she could still see it on his face, Finn was scared of the ocean but he didn't freak out like he used to. That gave her a vague idea of what might have happened while she was unconscious.

"You can face your fear now, right?" the girl asked.

"I-I try…!" Finn stammered watching the waving waters closely _"You can't scare me, you can't scare me…!" _The boy repeated mentally fighting to convince himself about it until he felt a pair of soft lips kissing his cheek. His blood rushed to his face as he looked down at the princess.

"That's for being brave." She smiled.

Finn blinked and looked forward nervously _"I can totally get used to this…!"_

More water entered the monster's mouth, now all they needed was a good gust to push them out and it didn't take long before their wish came true. Not being able to tolerate the smoke in her longs any longer, the giant sea snake expelled her breath finally blasting our friends into the vastness of the ocean.

The wrecked raft drifted at high speed bouncing over the water and letting them breathe the freshness of the air, which they were needing so desperately. The four of them were still embracing each other tightly when their improvised boat lost its burst of speed and stopped itself in the middle of nowhere.

Finn opened one eye slowly and then the other "We…we did it?"

"Yeah, or…we are dead and we haven't realized it…" Mr. Park whispered doubtfully.

"I vote for the first one!" Beemo replied.

"Ugh…guys?" Flame Princess called poking the human boy's shoulder.

"Yes?" the three guys answered in unison.

"We should start paddling or something… I-I think she's staring at us…!"

Effectively, a pair of yellow eyes glowed furiously not very far from their raft and were creeping the heck out of them. Somehow it was like if she knew that they were the ones who were causing trouble inside her and the slowly rise of her other twelve heads confirmed their assumption.

"What's the plan now?" Mr. Park whispered in fear.

"Easy…" the video game answered cracking its fists "We kill them!"

"But how? Thalassa it's impossible to ki-…" a wave of heat launching itself towards the sky forced him to let his words trail off. The skinny old man whipped back and glanced in awe at the fiery princess carrying the young hero toward the titanic monster; there wasn't even a hint of fear on their determined faces. "Do they really believe they can do it by themselves?"

"Just leave luck to heaven, dad." Beemo grinned following the trail of flames behind its friends with its small eyes.

Flame Princess carried Finn with her both arms, she was rushing toward the beast without a plan but she trusted on Finn's warrior instincts anyhow. The boy pulled out his red sword and smiled up to her.

"Are you ready for this?"

"I don't even know for what but, yeah!"

"Awesome!" Finn exclaimed, "This is what we'll do, you'll drop the 'Finn bomb' on this creep and I'll slash her heads off!"

"But that didn't work the last time, remember?"

"I know but here comes the best part, as I do this you'll blast your flames at the stumps to scorch them! That way, her heads won't grow back!"

"How do you know if that will work?" she asked raising her eyebrow.

"Simply milady, I don't!"

Flame Princess smiled slightly "Great, let's do this!"

She changed her flying direction heading upwards to gain more height, the monster's heads noticed this and followed her stretching their necks. Flame P could feel them getting quickly closer but she was faster and unlike them, she didn't have a stretching limit.

"Is this good enough?"

Finn checked down and saw the thirteen dragon's struggling to reach them "It's perfect, let me go!"

Flame Princess obeyed at the instant and dropped Finn without hesitation letting him dive toward the furious jungle of teeth and spikes beneath them. The boy prepared his sword; he was ready to slash every neck getting in his way.

The first head appeared baring its fangs fiercely at him while other two rose close behind it, Finn stabbed his sword on the first one to land over it and yanked it out quickly to slash an incoming one by his left side. The Blood Demon sword cut cleanly through the bright scales, its long length combined with the monster's impulse as it dashed toward the blade unwillingly let Finn slice through the thick neck chopping it off completely.

"It's all yours!" the young hero shouted feeling an orange glimmer flashing right behind him while he slid down the falling nape to continue with his task.

Flame Princess kept herself flying closely behind him to shoot at the unexpected heads that came out of nowhere and to fire a blazing blast at the beheaded sea serpents that Finn was leaving behind.

When the adventurer was about to reach the ocean the princess caught him and brought him upwards to repeat the process once more.

"Congratulations Finn, your plan is working perfectly!"

Finn looked down, together he and Flame Princess had defeated four heads and they didn't grow back like they used to.

"Actually, that Park guy gave me the idea!" he giggled, "Let's keep it up!"

The young princess nodded and let him dive once more, she watched him fall toward the ocean using his sword and his feet to keep himself over the Hydra's back while he sliced off more necks. It was a really grotesque view but she couldn't help to admire the way in which Finn simply forgot about his fear and confronted everything that came at him.

With one last proud grin Flame Princess dove behind her boyfriend to keep aiding him. The heads kept coming and she wasn't allowed to get distracted, she had to fire away any incoming attacker that Finn couldn't block or avoid on his way down.

"Hey firefly!" a voice called getting closer.

Flame Princess got distracted for a single second and that was when the Hydra tried to knock her down using her skull to hit her, when Flame P reacted it was already too late. She could only cover her face by crossing her arms in front of it and close her eyes.

The hit never came.

"Dang, sorry about that!" the same voice chuckled. "I should have been more careful!"

The fiery princess opened her eyes nervously and sighed with relief placing her hand on her chest "Marceline, where have you been this whole time?" she asked while her flames cauterized the bleeding neck that the Vampire Queen had just slashed.

"I should be the one asking that, you know?! We thought you two were dead or something worst."

"What could be worse than dying?" the younger girl wondered with curiosity.

"Never mind, if I'd tell you it'll give you six months of nightmares!" she lifted up her axe and rested it over her shoulder "Looks that you two are dealing with something bigger than yourselves, mind if I help?"

"I'd be offended if you didn't!"

"Yes!" Marceline celebrated clenching her fist before drifting into the Hydra's ragging heads "Oh… and by the way, sorry I didn't get you back there…"

The vampire left swinging her axe-bass enthusiastically while a very confused Flame Princess stayed behind "What?"

"Hey sister snap out of it, you have to burn the necks we cut!"

The girl shook off Marceline's mysterious apology and waved at the over-sized dog that was smiling beside her. Finn, Princess Bubblegum, Susan and Billy were on his back.

"What's up guys?" she greeted with joy.

"Hehe, you tell us!" Jake answered back.

"What if we leave the conversations for latter and we start cutting heads instead?" Billy suggested getting ready to jump off.

"Whoa! Can I go with you? Please, please, please, please!" the human boy pleaded overexerting his tongue's speed.

"Sure, get on my shoulder!" the legendary replied grabbing him with his big hand.

"Algebraic! This is totally the best day ever!"

Everyone gave him an altered look.

"What? I really enjoyed the thrill, the action and, well…everything we have been through today!" They kept staring at him weirdly "Stop looking at me like that, it's not my fault to be a radical boy with radical interests!"

"From where I come from we call that, adventure-lust… It messes up your brain and makes do reckless junk." Billy commented.

"And isn't that what heroes like you do?" Finn wondered worriedly.

"Yeah…" the green warrior shrugged.

"And the point of that was…." Princess Bubblegum whispered.

"Nothing really, I was just… you know. Just saying."

"Let's just beat this monster, okay?" she suggested drawing her sword.

"Okay, fine…" the rest agreed calmly before Jake exhaled a battle cry.

"Let's kick some gigantic buns!" the magical dog stretched across the wild sea serpents creating a bridge for those who couldn't float.

Princess Bubblegum ran down Jake's body holding the Root sword's hilt tightly, she could feel Flame Princess' heat behind her. It was just like Finn said; cauterizing the wounds prevented the heads from growing back. How couldn't she see that before?

"Hey Flame P, are you ready?" Bubblegum inquired as she lifted her blade.

"Ready when you are!" she heard her reply.

The candy princess focused for a while, she hated the idea of actually harming physically a creature no matter how evil or disgusting it could be. That was why she had to focus and picture something she was eagerly willing to kill, the Lich.

The image of the rotten skull flashed in her mind guiding her hands to strike mercilessly the beast before her. Bubblegum opened her eyes and watched the dead reptile fall into the ocean.

A hot stream of fire followed her action; once Flame Princess was done with her job she dashed away to burn Billy's beheaded foe, then Finn's, Marceline's and so on until just four of them remained.

The gang gathered over Jake's back to catch their breaths and wipe off some sweat from their wet foreheads.

"Man… I'm not going back there, somebody else please kill it for me…" the chubby bulldog panted.

"Why are you complaining? I'm the one who's helping with everyone's job here!" Flame Princess muttered at him.

"Yeah, but you're young and full of energy…" the dog kept panting "I'm old and tired…"

Jake stretched down and lied over the ocean as an inflated boat, while the others collapsed over him exhaustedly.

"I have an idea…" the human boy whispered weakly "Simon, why don't freeze the remaining heads so we can kill them faster?"

"Are you kidding boy?!" the old wizard yelped angrily "There's no way I'm getting up again!"

"Oh, c'mon!"

"No!"

"Pleasee?" Finn said staring at him with big starry eyes.

"Are you deaf? I said no!"

"Pretty please?" Flame Princess joined in.

"Stop it! Everyone knows that the physical appearance of the please makes no difference!" The Ice King replied crossing his arms "No is no!"

The teenager couple turned back to Princess Bubblegum and stared at her with the same eyes.

"Why are you-? No! No, no, never, no!" the princess declared realizing what they meant.

"Peebles please, I'm tired…" Finn pleaded getting on his knees.

"And my arm is killing me, won't you make things easier for us?" Flame P added doing the same.

Bubblegum stared at them not knowing what to do or say, Finn and Flame Princess had gone through the worst and were asking for little help from her. She would do anything for them, really! But for the Ice King? What if the old creep asks for a kiss or something worst? No, she wasn't going to do it.

"You can stay like that all the time you want, there's no way I'm gonna-…"

"Princess Bubblegum…just help us…" the burning girl pleaded, "I'm sick of getting wet, I just wanna go home or stand on some dry land…!"

The pink-haired princess sighed; she didn't feel like denying her anything, most of the bad stuff that happened to Flame Princess was her fault and the girl wasn't even aware of that. "_I owe her that much…" _"Fine…" she growled in resignation.

"Yay!" the young couple celebrated jumping into the air to finish off the wounded sea monster once and for all.

Princess Bubblegum walked toward the blue old man and kicked him softly to call his attention "Ice King… will you freeze that monster…_ for me?"_

He looked sideways with mistrust "Did someone pay you to say that or something?"

"Nooo…" she answered forcing a gritted smile "Everything's coming straight from my heart…!"

"Really?! Oh boy! Then I'll do it right away!" the wizard exclaimed jumping from his seat.

"Awesome…!" the princess giggled with remarkable hypocrisy.

"But first…"

"_Oh no…" _the forced grin on her face diminished a little bit.

"I want you to…"

"_Here it comes…" _the smile vanished.

"Give me a…"

"_Gob please, no…!" _she covered her eyes.

"Piece of your hair!"

"No way you're sick!" Bubblegum yelled before opening a small gap between her fingers "Wait what?" she mumbled in confusion.

"I just want a piece of your beautiful hair, it'll be like having a piece of you!" the Ice King stated getting his hands together and tilted his head against them "That way I can smell your sweet scent the whole day, and sleep with it like with a teddy bear, and watch it when I'm sad, and when I'm glad and when I'm-…!"

"Okay, okay, everyone got the idea!" Marceline yelled in annoyance from the other side of Jake's belly "Bonnibel hurry and give him his piece of you!"

Bubblegum grabbed a lock of her long gummy hair and ripped off a piece of it "There you go, now help Finn and Flame P…"

"Can you kiss it? Please, please, pretty pleaseee?" the old man begged winking repeatedly.

"No."

"Awww man…" he stuck the bubblegum wad inside his beard and flew away.

Finn and Flame Princess were waiting for him just few miles away from the agonizing beast; they were staring at her feeling some sort of pity for her.

"Captain Nemo said that she was once a beautiful woman, but his brother did something evil and a curse fell upon them… would it be fair to kill her like this?"

"Maybe we'll set her soul free… and maybe she'll meet him in some Dead World…" the flaring girl answered.

"I hope so…"

"Hey you guys!" the Ice King's voice drove them away from their thoughts "Let's finish with this, I'm hungry!"

The teenagers exchanged a puzzled look wondering how killing the Hydra would solve his hunger issue.

"Freeze!" the blue king howled firing his worst ice blast at the ferocious water beast.

A solid cover of ice crept slowly over her wet scales, paralyzing her remaining heads completely. The cold silenced her roars giving Flame Princess the sign to conjure a fire disk over her head.

"Are you ready Finn?" She took him above the frozen reptile "I suppose that, if you stab the main head with your sword we'll finally end with her suffering…"

Finn nodded silently.

Flame Princess threw the disk, the spinning object slashed the four frozen heads as if they where butter. Its heat did the job of burning the fresh wounds and once the fiery disk vanished she let go of Finn.

"I hope this helps you!" the young hero cried sinking the Demon Blood sword with all his strength as he landed over the headless stump.

When he retrieved his blade the whole ice mass cracked and exploded but before its million shards could reach the ocean something magical happened. They melt into tiny drops which combined themselves to form a human-like figure, the lower part of her body merged with the ocean and the upper part caught Finn before he fell.

"_It seems, it helped me after all…_" she smiled _"I am Thalassa, goddess of the sea… Some say I'm the ocean itself…"_

"The what?!" he yelped in astonishment.

"_I thank you and you're friends for saving us… may the winds of fortune guide your way…"_

With those words she placed him on the waters, which for some reason were as solid as the ground itself letting the impressed human stand in the ocean. The transparent humanoid sank in the sea with a white blinding light.

Finn, Flame Princess, the Ice King and even the other half of the gang had to cover their eyes because of it. When they opened them a familiar voice greeted them, what they saw after that were the S.S. Thalassa and the pirate ship drifting into the depths of the ocean.

"_Hey bunch of landlubbers! Thank ye for breaking our curse, we had been roaming the earth for centuries and now we can finally get some rest…" _

"C-captain Nemo?!" Finn shrieked in surprise.

"_I'm sorry for causing ye so much trouble but hey, that's what pirates do! Hehe… at least ye've got to meet the beautiful side of the ocean. There's nothing to be afraid of now, isn't it?"_

"C-captain Omen?!" the human yelped in the same way.

"_Why are ye so surprised? Did ye see a ghost or something? Hehe!" Nemo joked pulling something out of his coat "I believe this belongs to yer candy friend!"_

Finn caught it, "Bubblegum's purse? How did you-?" when he raised his sight again both ships were gone. "Dang…!"

/

"So… this whole time we were dealing with…ghosts?" Jake asked for the tenth time while he carried the exhausted gang on his belly and paddled the water with his hind paws.

"You should be more worried about other things, like… what are we going to do in the middle of the ocean without a ship?!" the Vampire Queen muttered covering her face with her old straw hat. The sun was back and it was shinning brightly over them.

"Just leave luck to heaven…"

"Beemo!" Finn shrieked, "I totally forgot about you! How did find us so quickly and... where's Mr. Park?!"

"Oh, hehe… remember what he said about being dead without realizing it?"

The gang nodded silently.

"Well, guess what happened!"

"He… was also a ghost…?" Flame Princess whispered nervously.

"Yep, while you fought we had a little talk and then he was able to ascend to Glob World…"

"Weird…" the magical dog stated, "The ocean's a weird place…"

A strong gust blew over them carrying Mr. Park's raft sail with it.

"_You use it, maybe it'll come in handy…" _the old man's voice echoed _"Beemo, again… I'm sorry for everything… Please keep being the awesome living boy you have always been and… Leave luck to heaven…!"_

"That was even weirder…" Jake sighed in awe.

Bubblegum grabbed the sail and studied it for a while "You know? This could actually come in handy… Jake! Transform into a basket and hold each end of the sail with your paws!"

The elastic dog did as said and now he was a floating basket with a ragged sail covering its top.

"Now, Flame Princess… Is there a way you could blow a weak flame to fill the sail?"

"I could try…" the girl replied and exhaled some air upwards. The hot air inflated the sail and lifted the "Jake basket" into the air just like if it were a hot air balloon.

"Fire breath?! Whoa! That's awesome!" Finn exclaimed excitedly as the balloon drifted away slowly thanks to the wind.

"Finn… if I were you, I'd be worried about that…" Marceline's voice replied.

"Why? Never mind, Beemo! What does 'leave luck to heaven means'?"

"It means, 'have faith'…"

"Whoa… and, does anybody knows where are we going now?"

"Wherever the wind blows Finn, wherever the wind blows…" Beemo answered calmly.

"Hey... can you give me my hat now?"

* * *

**Author's notes:**

It took me awhile to come up with this chapter, I really hope you like it! Again, I owe you the grammatical correction of this chapter... I'll get some free time tomorrow so if you can't stand any missing words, silly spelling mistakes or grammar you can read it again tomorrow's afternoon :) Sorry for the inconveniences you may have found along your reading.

Thanks everyone for the support, this story has come a long way and it's all thanks to you :)

Well, let's keep waiting for season 5! See you next week!

_**31/10/12 Update!**_

Every grammatical and spelling mistakes have been corrected. Missing words have been found :D


	37. The Fighters of Guru Island!

Tale 37: The fighters of Guru Island!

The sun shined high in the perfectly blue skies warming up the lively streets crowded with merchants and buyers of all sorts. The insistent sellers kept showing off their multiple goods while some people dedicated themselves to study with a critical eye the value of the offered products. On the other side of the street the energetic cries of highly enthusiastic women fighting for limited-time-only bargains joined the many other clamors of the rock-paved alleys.

Guru Island was now the home of the Ooocians who left behind everything they had and went into the ocean in the hopes of finding a new home, and far across the Sea of Sure Death they managed to find it. But these foreigners didn't settle in an uninhabited island, a small rustic town was situated not very far from the shore. The natives welcomed them with great hospitality and joy. The tired refugees had finally found shelter, food and generosity on the island with the ever-spinning windmill at the top of a hill.

Among the crowded streets of this particular isle, even when they were filled with many other strange magical creatures, two figures stood out from the rest of the multicolored swarm around them. One was tall and rather rude with the people who got in her way while she tried to jump from one fruit stall to the other, she was wearing a large sun hat, which still had a small price tag hanging from it.

The other remarkable character was shorter and literally brighter than the first one. She was desperately struggling to catch up with her friend while she carried a heavy basked filled with a great variety of red-colored fruits and vegetables.

"_Cheap n' healthy food! Come and try our fresh deliciousness!" _ A fat man with light purple skin cried.

"Nice!" the girl with the big and fancy-looking hat smiled revealing a pair of sparkling fangs. "I want two bags of strawberries, five apples and… that sweet looking ribbon!"

The fruit seller held the scarlet ribbon that his customer had just asked for and scratched his baldhead doubtfully, said object wasn't surely part of his merchandise, perhaps some distracted girl left it behind in a hurry. How could he know? But that wasn't exactly what confused him so much; it was his customer's request.

"Excuse me miss, did you just say _sweet_ ribbon?"

"Yeah, it looks yummy! How much do want for it?"

"Forty dollars for everything, I guess…"

"Great!" the girl shoved her pale hand into her pocket and then stared at her open palm in surprise. She had only a penny, a clip, a piece of string and a dead fly. "Ugh… one sec please! Flame P! I need some cash!"

A walking basket made her way out of the multitude and bumped against her.

"There you are Flame P, what took you so long?"

A golden face with red flaring hair popped up from behind the basket she was carrying "Marceline, when you explained me what the word _shopping_ meant I thought it sounded like a lot of fun, but I'm not actually having such a great time you know…"

"That's just a matter of getting used to it" The vampire chuckled "Hey, umm… I don't wanna sound abusive but… I need you to lend me some cash."

Flame Princess turned her head side ways and sighed, "Can you take it out of my pocket? My hands are full with your junk."

"It's not _my_ junk…" Marceline replied crouching down "It's _everybody's_ junk. Bonnibel told us to get some provisions, remember? And besides, it's been awhile since you and me go on a solo mission… Doesn't this bring you some good memories?"

"Well…"

"Don't answer," the Vampire Queen interjected before her friend could complain. She grabbed the money and smiled at the merchant "Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, there you go!"

"Thanks, please come again!" the fruit seller said making a small bow.

Marceline and the Flame Princess continued with their walk stopping every now and then at a different stall. The load on the younger girl's hands got heavier with every sudden stop that the vampire decided to make, but this one didn't seem to notice that. Maybe Marceline was too excited about being in an open-air bazaar or maybe she was just too hungry to do it. At least, that's what the fiery girl thought until Marceline tapped her shoulder.

"Flame P… how's your arm doing?"

"It's been getting better since Princess Bubblegum used the last Cyclops' tears on me." Flame Princess replied lowering her pace.

"Awesome, then that means that you can carry these as well!" Marceline exclaimed tossing a pair of watermelons into the loaded basket.

The fire elemental rolled her eyes and grunted, "At least we'll get something green to eat…"

"Nope, watermelons are red on the inside." The vampire giggled sticking out her tongue but then changed her expression into a more serene one "I'm just messing with you Flame P, c'mon! Let's take a rest and then I'll help you carry that stuff…"

Marceline pulled the princess toward a clearer sidewalk so the two could sit there for a while, they left the loaded basket right beside them and then the queen pulled out a chocolate bar she had bought earlier to share it with the blazing girl.

"Lunch time!" the vampire declared splitting the bar by its center "Well, not really. Hehe! But it'll give you some energy!"

They both bit the candy in silence just enjoying each other's company and their few minutes of free time. Since Jake shouted, "Land ho!" just some hours before dawn, they had been running around the whole island searching for supplies and a ship to continue with their journey. Each member of the gang grabbed a mate and then left to accomplish their "not-so-heroic" mission of running the errands that Princess Bubblegum left them while she looked for the town's Mayor to gather some information.

"You know?" Marceline whispered breaking the silence "They say that eating chocolate is four times better than kissing. I think they're right, I defs love chocolate! What do you think?"

Flame Princess bit another piece and swallowed "Well, chocolate is good but-…"

"_But? _Nothing beats chocolate gal, nothing!" the vampire assured pushing the whole piece of candy into her mouth "Or perhaps the weenie's better at it than I thought… Guess it depends on who's kissing you…"

The flaring girl gave her a bothered look.

"What?" Marceline complained.

"Where do you get all that junk?"

"Oh, from a magazine…" the pale queen answered licking the melted chocolate on her fingers.

"Princess Bubblegum says that reading magazines is a waste of time." Flame P replied with a defiant grin.

"Bonnie talks a lot, and not everything she says is necessarily right or an absolute truth…" Marceline shrugged "Besides, who's cooler? Bonnie or me?"

"You?" Flame Princess said uncertainly.

"That's right!" the Vampire Queen smiled getting up "Good girl, remember me to get you a cookie later…C'mon let's go!"

The two girls distributed the weight of their purchases between each other's arms and began making their way toward the shore where everyone agreed to gather once they had finished with their errands. The windmill on the top of the island kept spinning round and round providing a powerful but soft breeze to its inhabitants, and it was this same wind the one that stamped a flyer on Marceline's face.

"What the-?!" she complained struggling to blow it away with her breath.

Flame Princess smiled in amusement and placed her stuff on the ground to help the vampire get rid of the annoying paper.

"Hmmm… look at this, Marcy!" the young girl said excitedly after reading the flyer "This seems like something Finn and Jake would enjoy!"

The Vampire Queen stared at the picture of a giant farm guy fighting against a muscled train track-headed man. She scratched her cheek slightly as she read, "_Don't miss the annual clash of the legendary Shiney Isles' fighters_…bla, bla…_who would win and keep the sacred honor of their schools untouched? _Bla, bla, bla…" Marceline raised an eyebrow and crumpled the flyer "Yep, this looks like the kind of stuff those dweebs would love to see, but unfortunately the match is in two weeks and we're leaving today…"

She threw the paper ball away to restart her walk but Flame Princess hurried to catch it and stretched it back to its former shape carefully "At least you could have let them keep the poster!" the fire girl yelled as she ran to catch up with the vampire.

"Flame Princess… Finn and Jake don't deserve the amount of attention you're giving to them…" Marceline sighed exhaustedly "You give them a hand and they'll grab your whole arm…"

/

Finn, Jake and Susan were supposed to buy some medicinal herbs; bandages and such since they had ran out of Cyclops' tears. After using what was left to heal the wounds that battling the Hydra left, the possibilities of finding more in the island where few.

Princess Bubblegum had also instructed them to search for someone who might explain why the miraculous effect of such tears wasn't so miraculous as it used to be before. For some mysterious reason the magical liquid had healed their injuries but only partially, leaving scars, open wounds and painful bruises on the soon-to-be heroes when it should have erased their damage completely.

But the true mystery here isn't why the magical tears stopped working; the mystery is, why the two brothers and the hyooman weren't actually doing what they were supposed to?

"Come here weary travelers, why don't you stop for a while and take a look to these valuable goods from faraway lands?" a skinny man with long pointy ears and a green cloth tied on his forehead said as he jumped on our adventurers' way "We have jewels, diamonds and all kinds of charms for beautiful ladies like you, miss."

The man said this grabbing Susan's hand with gallantry and offered her one of his shiny emeralds; she accepted it but immediately took the green rock into her mouth and began to chew it insistently.

"Bleh! Not candy!" the hyooman complained spitting the emerald onto the ground, action that left the merchant speechless and horrified.

"Of course this isn't candy!" the man said as he ran to retrieve his rejected merchandise "This is a piece of jewelry! You must wear it, not eat it!"

"Hehe, you'll never get Susan to buy it." Jake laughed watching the scene "She's only interested in candy!"

"How bout' you gentlemen? Aren't you interested in some of my magnificent gems?" the skinny man suggested showing them his wide collection of precious items "The name's Noodle by the way, at your service!"

"Nah, no thanks man. Finn and I are a pair of manly adventurers, we're not interested in that kind of stuff unless it's inside a treasure chest in the depths of a dark dungeon surrounded by monsters, and traps and, and, and… well you get the idea. Right bro?"

"Right bro!" Finn replied spitting on the ground in imitation of the rude-looking sailors he had seen on the dock a while earlier.

"Oh I see, but if you're such a valiant pair of warriors I suppose that you must be followed by ladies all the time. And those ladies maybe interested in my jewels, right?" Noodle spoke with a tempting voice as he rubbed his bony hands ambitiously.

"Ladies? Nah, but I do have a Lady and she's waiting for me somewhere in the Lumpy Space with our lovely unborn puppies!" the golden bulldog replied with pride.

"Really? Congratulations my friend! You know what would be nice? You could buy one of these precious rarities and show your wife how much you have missed her!"

Jake blushed a little "Well, she's not my wife…yet, hehe!"

"Then you should buy her this wonderful ring and ask her the big question when you return brudda!"

The human boy stared at Noodle suspiciously and leaned on Jake's ear "Dude…" he whispered "I thought we were going to get Lady's engagement ring in the Crystal Dimension…"

"Yeah but this guy has great deals! Perhaps I can get her a souvenir, nothing too expensive…" the dog shrugged making Finn sigh in resignation.

"I like your enthusiasm my friend!" the merchant laughed patting Jake's back and then turned to face Finn "How about you? Is there any girl in your life, a good friend? A follower? A girlfriend?"

"Maybe, but I bet she doesn't need any of this. Let's go guys, we have to-…"

"No, no, no! Please boy!" Noodle hurried to stop him "Girls like to receive little gifts every now and then, like these nice gems I have over here!"

"Yeah, but she likes it better when I'm around and that's why we should get going. C'mon guys it's getting late…"

"Wait! Just listen!" the insistent seller wasn't going to lose a potential customer and threw his arm over Finn's shoulders "Look, because I've got to like you I'm going to share a little tip with you."

The young hero decided to play his game and raised an eyebrow showing fake interest "Yeah? Sounds great man, tell me…"

Noodle swelled with pride like if he was some sort of "Don Juan" and explained, "If you wanna keep the fire of your relationship burning you gotta keep your girl interested, otherwise the flame will eventually cool off and she'll dump you. That's why you oughta buy her one of my ite-…" he suddenly noticed that Finn was gone. "Wh-where's?!"

"Finn left during your rambling." Jake chuckled, as he walked off as well "I don't really think his relationship is ever going to _cool off_, believe me when I say his girl's literally hot, but thanks for the tip man." The dog finished by showing him Lady's gift "I'll keep it in mind!"

The merchant watched the trio leave in astonishment; he couldn't believe that he had lost two customers out of three. His sales were going down and it was already difficult enough to steal his great variety gems only for them to be rejected by a group of simpleton tourists. Perhaps he just needed to steal more attractive goods.

A colorful gummy worm showed up from behind his jewelry booth "What's up Noodle? Did ya get us some cash…?"

"Not as much I as I would have loved to, Bobby…" the merchant replied shoving Jake's payment in his pocket "Listen I want you to follow those foreigners and find out what are they doing here, maybe we can get ourselves something better than these useless gems from them…"

"Ugh… boss, you want me to rob their belongings? Or just spy on them?"

"Well, if they are carrying something worth it then yeah… I noticed that the boy was carrying a nice sword with him…hehe… do both."

The gummy worm tilted his head stiffly "Ugh… now?"

"Yeah now! Get moving!"

/

Billy crossed his arms and leaned on a wall, he noticed that a bunch of seagulls were fighting for a piece of rotten meat next to him and sighed. The docks weren't the nicest place to walk around at that hour, the sun was hot and the street was filled with busy people, mostly sailors and workers who were unloading their ships and carrying their goods toward the market. The air smelled like a combination of fish and sweat and the hustle and bustle of the mariners wasn't making the area any better.

"Are you ready yet?" the green giant asked while he rubbed his temple.

"I'm the next in the line, just give me a sec will you?" the Ice King replied from the other side of the street.

The blue wizard and his penguin were waiting in a booth with the following sign: "Cool drinks for Cool fellows!" some minutes later the duo returned with a pair of "Piñas Coladas" with little pink umbrellas on top.

"Is that all you needed? Can we keep looking for a ship now?" Billy questioned crossing his arms again.

The Ice King sipped some of his cold beverage and then stared at his bird "Gunter, is there anything else you need?"

"Wenk!"

"He needs a toilet…"

The legendary hero slapped his forehead "Why me…?" he sighed with sadness "Okay, take him to the public bathroom but do it fast!" Billy pushed his teammates forward and then noticed a strange agglomeration near the shipyard "Hold on…" he muttered stopping the Ice King's pace.

A bunch of sailors were yelling and pushing each other around a green-skinned woman with a white coat and glasses, she was trying to calm them down but her efforts were useless and the people around her just kept getting angrier.

"Please, I assure you that I'll treat each and everyone of your families but stop pushing me! I can't deal with everything at the same time, I need you to take turns!" she pleaded keeping an admirable sense of serenity despite it all.

"_No way!" We can't keep waiting any longer! You have to help us doctor!"_ the crowd shouted.

The Ice King recognized her almost instantly and flapped with his beard over the raging multitude "Hi Doctor Princess, are these guys giving you trouble?" he asked with a charming voice.

"You've given me more before, haven't you?" Dr. Princess replied calmly.

"Hehe! Why yes, yes!" the wizard laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.

At that moment one of the angered mariners pushed through the crowd and yelled at the doctor "Listen you good-for-nothing excuse of a doctor I don't have much time to wast-…!"

"How dare you treat a lady like that?!" The Ice King retorted lighting his hands with blue icy fire "Let me teach you a lesson!"

"Oh nelly!" Doctor Princess gasped as the old wizard punched the sailor in the gut "I better get out of here before…."

"_**Fight! Fight! Fight!" **_The trashing multitude screamed before they began to attack each other.

Billy scratched his orange hair doubtfully "Which is the best way to stop a fight? Joining in?" he wondered. Just then someone threw a bucket of yellow paint and it happened to land on his head "Then this is the way it must be done… Get ready to get your butts kicked!"

/

On the other side of Guru Island, Princess Bubblegum and Beemo strolled along the luxury villas and peaceful alleys of the high-class neighborhood while they searched for the Mayor's mansion.

"So you see," Beemo said "My father got into Hanafuda gambling games and when he had lost everything he had, he used me as a bet! Can you believe it Princess?!"

Bubblegum nodded in understanding "And that's why you left him…"

"Yeah…" the video game sighted "But that's okay, I found a nice place to stay after that. A tree house with a small boy and a magical dog that had just lost their parents… Finn and Jake have been my best friends since then!"

"I'm glad you guys have gotten a happy ending after all…" the princess smiled "Oh, look! The town's Mayor must live here!"

They stopped at a big wooden mansion with beautiful courtyards and large windows, there didn't seem to be a guard or anything to stop their way in, so Bubblegum and BMO just walked across the entrance and stopped at the huge doors to ring the bell.

"Oh! I wanna ring it! Please let me do it!" Beemo enthusiastically.

"Sure little guy!" the pink-haired princess lifted the console up but just when it was about to touch the doorbell they heard someone cry inside.

"_No, no, no! Everything's wrong! In the name of Grod, what is going on this year?!_

Princess Bubblegum and Beemo peeked through one of the windows in curiosity; there they saw an old man with long white hair and beard, sunglasses and a Hawaiian T-shirt. He was wearing a pair of blue pants just like the ones Finn always wear and no shoes or sandals. He was bare-footed.

Right in front of him, a muscled man with dark skin and a train track instead of head was sitting on the couch with a depressed look on his face (don't ask how this could be noticed) he also had the front part of a locomotive attached to his chest.

"First that Lich guy attacks the continent, then a mysterious green mist infects the outsider population and now the annual match between the Train and the Farm has to be cancelled?!" the first man continued "That's unprecedented! Outrageous! Unacceptable!"

"The rules are clear enough Mayor, the use of weapons, bionic attachments and special abilities is prohibited during the contest!" the Train interjected "Since the Farm crippled my legs I was forced to use bionic ones, if only you could change the rules…just a bit… pleaseee…?"

The Mayor slammed a table with his fist "No way! The rules of my fighting contest are sacred! It hurts me to say this, believe me my friend, but unless we can find you a replacement the annual match will be… Suspended!"

"Noooo!" the iron-headed man cried turning his head towards the heavens "Hold on, get your brakes on! I think our private chat is not so private anymore…"

Beemo and Princess Bubblegum flinched before hiding beneath the window.

"There's no need to hide, I already caught you miss…" the Mayor said pushing his sunglasses upward. "Don't be afraid, please come in… We were about to have tea."

As weird and awkward the idea of having a tea party with the legendary Train and the eccentric Mayor was, Princess Bubblegum and Beemo accepted 'cause they actually didn't have a choice. The good news are that, when Bubblegum introduced herself, the Mayor jumped in excitement and showed her his collection of newspapers with the latest information regarding to the soon-to-be heroes of Ooo.

"Huh? I didn't know people were following our journey…" the ruler of the Candy Kingdom blinked in surprise.

"Well, Bubblegum of the Candy Kingdom… it's all thanks to the 'Gossip Master'!" the Mayor replied.

"Gossip Master?" she inquired with curiosity.

"An amateur journalist who arrived here some weeks ago…" the Train said as he added some spoons of sugar into his cup of tea with unbelievable delicacy "She came from Colonel Candy Corn's Camp station after everything collapsed there."

"Does she happen to be purple and lumpy?" Bubblegum asked raising an eyebrow, _"Gossip Master, that's so LSP…"_

/

Marceline and Flame Princess left their purchases on the shore and waited for their teammates, when the girls realized that they were not coming, the two simply decided to search for them in the docks thinking that maybe they had changed the meeting point without telling them.

"How annoying…" Marceline sighed as she held her head back "Can't they see that walking under this sun is not good for me?"

"What if they forgot that you're a vampire?" the young girl walking next to her wondered.

"Flame P…" the black-haired queen opened one eye "How can someone forget about something like that?"

Flame Princess shrugged "I don't know, I do it very often…"

"How come-…?" her nose twitched softly "I can smell blood in the air, something's going on by the shipyard… Let's go check it out!"

Marceline and Flame Princess stopped walking and launched themselves into the sky to reach the docks faster. They found an outstanding riot when they arrived, people was going wild on everyone else punching out their teeth, kicking tables and breaking whatever was on their way. Amidst all the chaos, the figures of the Ice King and Billy smacking down a great deal of opponents was on their sight.

"So that's why they left us behind!" the Vampire Queen exclaimed crossing her arms "They wanted all the fun for themselves!"

Flame Princess glimpsed noticing how a little kid punched the Ice King's belly "I don't think they're having fun…" she looked up to Marceline "Do you think they any need help?"

"Agh! Mother of…Gob…!" the mighty Billy yelped after someone kicked him in the crotch.

"Yep…" Marceline said as the hero fell on his knees "I think they do…"

/

After purchasing all the medicines they needed, Finn, Jake and Susan got themselves some hotdogs and sat on a bench near to the isle's lookout spot. The magical dog munched his food as fast as he could to pull out the necklace he had just bought for Lady and imagine how happy she'll look when he finally gives it to her.

Jake sighed with merriment "I can't wait to see her again…"

"I can imagine how much you're missing her." His brother replied with his mouth full. Susan gave him a nod of agreement.

"Yeah…" he stared back at his gift "Why didn't ya buy Flame P something, buddy?"

Finn swallowed "'Cause I didn't like that guy, I have a feeling that he stole those gems and who knows… maybe I could have gotten her in trouble…"

"Hmmm… if that's that case, I should keep this in my pocket."

Susan Strong finished her hotdog and caught a glimpse of something shiny next to her, the lookout's telescopes. She got up and pocked one curiously, when it flipped toward her because of her touch, the hyooman jumped back in fear.

"Ohmygodcuss!"

"Huh? What is it Sue?" asked Finn.

"Moved. Shiny thing moved!" she warned hiding behind the bench.

"Oh, Susan that's just the telescope!" the human boy chuckled.

Finn dropped a coin into the optical instrument and the peeped through it, he turned it upward to glance at the seagulls and the fluffy clouds. "Hehe… mathematical! This isn't dangerous. It's nice! Come take a look Susan!"

Susan smiled; if Finn said it wasn't dangerous, then there was nothing to be afraid of. She leaned on the telescope and did the same thing Finn just did. "Oh…eagle eye…! Hehe, Susan likes! Brings back nice feelings!"

Jake gave Finn a wondering look but the boy just shrugged in response.

"Hey Sue, maybe you can find the others with it! Give it a try!" the adventurer suggested.

"Susan will!" she moved the telescope around the isle and gasped "Found them but, they look in trouble…"

"Trouble?!" Finn and Jake yelped in unison and deposited a coin in another telescope to see what was she talking about.

"It looks like they are in the middle of a crazy commotion!" the bulldog pointed.

Finn pushed him aside to watch on his own "Everyone's there, we should join the fight too!"

Jake stretched himself into a giant battle beast to let Finn and Susan hop on his back "It's brawl time!" he cried stretching them toward the shipyard.

/

Princess Bubblegum walked along the shore in company of Beemo, the Mayor and the Train. After their cup of tea, the Mayor explained her all the problems his town was facing. Bubblegum was of course more interested on the "mysterious green fog" that was affecting the surrounding islands, making her wonder if the Lich was behind it and what kind of effect did it have on people, but the Mayor was more worried about his suspended fighting contest.

"I tell you miss Bubblegum, this is the worst… How can life be the same without the excitement and the suspense of a great annual battle between supreme warriors?"

The Princess rolled her eyes "Sure sir, it must be terrible…"

They were getting near to the docks and soon the sound of battle cries and painful groans filled Princess Bubblegum, Beemo and the Train's ears (if the last two had any) but not the Mayor's. He was still too focused on his yearning for a colossal match.

"If only we could find a group of warriors suitable enough to face the Farm's disciples, then I could organize the heck of a tournament and maybe final-…" the body of an unconscious guy broke through a window cutting of his words.

"And if you ever dare to touch me there again, I swear I'll kill you!" Marceline yelled raising her fist.

A glimmer shined on the Mayor's sunglasses as he discovered the amazing fighting skills of a certain group of well-known individuals. "Glob has listened to my prayers…"

"Someone please tell me this isn't happening…" Princess Bubblegum muttered while she stormed toward the epicenter of the wild melee. "ALRIGHT EVERYONE, YOU'D BETTER STOP THIS DISPLAY OF TROGLODYTE BEHAVIOR BEFORE I GET TRULY MAD! IS THAT CLEAR?!"

Everyone froze instantly. Jake's teeth remained buried in a sailor's arm, Finn had a fist on his eye, Billy had a tight lock on a man's neck, the Ice King's long nose was being bitten by the same kid of before, Susan was holding two sturdy workers by the neck, Flame Princess was about to break another septum and Marceline remained where she had first appeared.

"Y-yes…" the beaten up crowd replied fearfully.

"Yes what?!" Bubblegum shouted leaning forward.

"Yes ma'am!" they responded running away from the scene.

"And you!" the pink-haired girl said pointing her jacked up teammates "I just can't believe it! I'd expect this kind of behavior from the Ice King, but from you?!"

Flame Princess stepped back as Bubblegum's finger drew closer.

"A Princess should never, ever be seen involved in a street fight! That's just vulgar and not lady-like at all, what would your father say if he sees you like this?!"

"A Princess?! What about a Queen?!" the fire elemental replied pointing Marceline with her thumb.

"Marceline is already a lost cause, but you aren't!" her pink finger drifted over Billy "And you! You're supposed to be a hero, someone everyone should follow!"

"B-but…let me explain! I-…"

"I don't wanna hear any excuses! Haven't you realized that everything you do…!" her finger was now pointing Finn "He'll do it as well?!" Bubblegum glared at the teenager "And everything _you _do…!" her finger stopped on Susan's nose "_She_'ll do it too!"

"Hehe, please Princess it's not like-…"

"Shut up Jake, you should be more ashamed than anyone in here!" Bubblegum yelled pointing his black nose "You're Finn's older brother and you don't seem to take proper care of him, is this how you're going to treat your puppies?! For the love of Glob Jake! You can't keep dancing through life like this; you're about to become a father!"

"Ummm… Miss…?" the Mayor interrupted.

"What?!" A vein jumped out of the sugary princess' forehead.

"Maybe it's not the best time, c'mon Train! Let's go for a drink!" the two characters left the place in a huff.

Marceline squinted as she blew a lock of her out of her face "Cowards…" she crossed her arms "Who named you the team's official mother, Bonnibel?"

"Common sense did, you can't just enter a new plac-…!" Princess Bubblegum felt a hand tapping her shoulder "Huh?"

Doctor Princess took off her glasses and cleaned them with her coat "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I must intervenein orderto prevent a new fight between you guys." She put her glasses back on "You see Princess Bubblegum; I'm responsible for the actions of your comrades, they were just trying to defend my integrity from the coarse intentions of those stinky men."

"Okay, explain what happened with more detail if you please…" the real princess said sternly.

"It's all about the mysterious green mist…" Dr. Princess explained, "The island where we're standing is part of the Shiney Isles archipelago and recently the other surrounding isles have been covered by this strange fog."

"I don't understand what do you all mean with 'green mist', what's so worrying about it?"

"That's what I'm trying figure, this fog seems to have intoxicating components. Anyone who breathes it will get ill in no time and die a little bit later, those sailors wanted me to help their families but I haven't found a cure." The green scientist sighed sorrowfully "All I can do is to treat them and hope for the best…"

Princess Bubblegum's features softened "Doctor Princess, is there-…"

"Guys!" Flame Princess gasped holding her sapphire "A cosmic weapon!"

The princess of the Candy Kingdom pulled out her radar, a blinking light showed up in the screen moving at regular speed away from the spot in which they were standing. "I-impossible…!"

"What's wrong Peebles?" Finn asked as he covered his now slightly purple eye.

"The cosmic weapons are supposed to be hidden within the Lich's labyrinth, but according to my radar one of them was right in front of us!"

"What?" the whole gang replied in surprise.

"Princess…" Beemo called pulling Bubblegum's jeans "When we were at the Mayor's place I noticed that a pink glow was coming out of your bag, does that mean something?"

"Of course it does BMO," the princess reached for the metallic sphere in her purse "Someone, either the Mayor or the Train was carrying a cosmic weapon with him…"

"How come? That doesn't make sense!" the golden dog barked.

"Excuse me Jake," Doctor Princess meddled "Did one of you say something about a labyrinth?"

Everyone nodded at her.

"Then there's something I've got to show you…" she instructed, "Follow me, please."

They ran after Doctor Princess moving around the whole island. When they noticed that the road was longer than they have thought, those who could fly got over the ground while the others decided to ride on Jake's stretched back. By the time they had reached their destination the magical dog's tongue was being dragged as if it was a heavy item to carry.

"Hey Doc, I've been running like for two hours now…" the fatigued bulldog groaned "Are we there yet?"

Doctor Princess hopped off and led them to a cliff "The Mayor told me that those strange pillars weren't on these waters some months ago, do they seem familiar to you?"

Effectively, the barely visible stonewalls underneath the crashing waves were part of the Lich's labyrinth; there was no doubt about it. Marceline decided to fly a little bit further to scan the area.

"You may not like to hear this," the vampire announced after her short trip "but I guarantee that if we follow that path it'll lead us to the Ooocian continent and the Lich will surely be waiting for us in there, just like he said when everything began…"

"We can't runaway from him, can we?" Flame Princess sighed "We'll have to cross those waters eventually and when that time comes, we'll have to be ready to face the end."

Finn made a step forward and nodded; the sun was starting to hide on his left side of the horizon and a green fog crept slowly from the cursed waters before him. "Guess there's no doubt about it now… the green mist is obviously the Lich's doing and someone in this island is wearing a cosmic weapon…"

"But… has anybody wondered why the mist hasn't affected this island in particular?" the Vampire Queen inquired curiously.

"I've got… a better question…" Jake panted, "Why did we have to go around the island to get here instead of walking across it? My feet are killing me, you know?"

"That's because the windmill would have block our wa-…" Doctor Princess' voice trailed off "The windmill… but of course! The windmill keeps the green fog away!"

"Yeah, that's it!" Finn exclaimed in excitement "But how does that help the other isles?"

Princess Bubblegum watched the sun drown in the horizon and clenched her fists "Dr. Princess, is there a way I can help you with your research?"

The scientist's eyes widened in astonishment "But of course! It'll be an honor to work side by side with the greatest scientist in all of Ooo!" she clapped in excitement "I'll show you the way to my lab!"

"You have a lab here?!" Bubblegum replied in the delight "Finally! I can make wonders with a properly equipped laboratory, you know?"

The two nerdies left hurriedly but Marceline managed to stop them for a moment "Hold it Bonnie, while you are doing your scientific junk and all… what are we supposed to do?"

"Oh right!" Bubblegum tossed the cosmic radar at the vampire's hands "Find that cosmic weapon and bring it to the lab, okay?"

Marceline examined the radar for a while and then stared at the sky, the sun was gone now, it was safe for her to take her hat off. She floated back to her team and grinned with determination "Are you guys ready to get a new cosmic weapon?"

/

The radar had leaded them to the Mayor's villa, just like Princess Bubblegum had predicted; either the Train or the Mayor had a cosmic weapon as a possession. Marceline instructed everyone to sneak inside the courtyard, after nightfall the security seemed to have been tightened up quite a bit and she was too tired to deal with another fight.

The gang hid behind a tree before running into the mansion's door, there was something that wasn't going to work like the vampire wanted.

"Flame Princess, is there a way in which you could… I don't know, turn off your light?" Marceline asked.

"What? Do you want me to die?" the fiery girl replied as if the answer was pretty obvious.

"No, but your light is going to ruin our plan…"

"What if Flame Princess stays here and we continue without her?" Jake suggested, just then he felt Finn's elbow in his ribs "What?"

"Don't you dare to leave my lady behind!" the human boy whispered in an offended tone.

"Okay, okay…!" the Vampire Queen said trying to calm them down "New plan, I'll turn invisible and knock out everyone who might see us…"

Billy frowned slightly and raised his arm to ask a question "Why can't we just enter through the front door like normal people? Princess Bubblegum said that the Mayor was our fan…"

"Because…!" Marceline was about to reply when the light of realization hit her brain "Wait… Bubblegum said that?"

The legendary hero nodded with amusement.

"Darn it, and here I was making super complicated plans and junk!" she complained "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?!"

"Ooops?" Billy shrugged.

"Get your butt moving before I kick it, Froggy!"

/

The old man who the people of Guru Island had elected democratically jumped around his living room with joy when seven of the eight heroes-to-be appeared on his porch, he quickly dragged them to his trophy room and showed them his giant posters of mighty warriors from the past forty decades, photos of his long gone years of youth when he was a great fighter and his vast collection of medals.

"Hehe…! I'm so excited to have you here, I saw you crushing bones this afternoon in the docks and decided to become your number one fan!"

"Wow, thanks Mayor!" Finn gasped in disbelief "Hey, since you're so nice… do you mind if we ask you something?"

"Ask anything you want brave boy!"

"Did you happen to find a rare and valuable object these days? Something with a sapphire on it, maybe?"

"With a sapphire, you say?" the Mayor replied while his fingers rubbed his chin thoughtfully and he snapped his fingers "Do you mean something like this?"

He stretched his closed fist toward Finn's face showing him a silver ring with a small glowing sapphire on it, Nothung's and Flame Princess' blue gems reacted instantly showing off their own glow.

"There it is!" the Ice King exclaimed snatching the cosmic radar from Marceline's hands and pointed the ring with it "I command you to hand us the ring, now!"

"Ummm… nah…" the Mayor said turning around to show them his back "It's my ring!"

"What?!" the heroes-to-be shouted dropping their jaws.

"Perhaps you haven't understood our story properly," Jake affirmed as he surrounded the eccentric old man with his arm "That ring is a cosmic weapon and we need it to save to the world…"

"Perhaps you didn't listen to my words properly," the Mayor imitated Jake's tone "This is my ring and I won't give it to you so easily, I don't care how badly you needed!"

"Okay that's enough!" Marceline claimed pushing Jake away "What do you want from us? Money?"

"I don't need any money… What I need is a group of strong warriors willing to participate in my fighting tournament!" the Mayor pulled off a flyer from his wall, "You see this? The Train was supposed to fight the Farm this year but since he lost his legs he's not allowed to fight in my tournament…"

"And how can we change that?" Flame Princess inquired after matching the flyer in her pocket with his.

"The Farm's going to bring his best warriors so they'd fight against the Train's disciples instead, but my iron-headed friend doesn't have any students, that's why I want you to stay here and train with the Train for the next two weeks…" the old man explained and raised his ring up letting the light hit its surface so it would shine brightly "If you defeat the Farm's warriors in my tournament, you'll win the Siren's ring!"

The glimmer hit the window reflecting itself on the Gummy worm's eye behind it _"I gotta tell Noodle about this, hehe…" _

"Jake…" Finn whispered, a blank expression filling his face "Pinch me… 'Cause I must be dreaming!"

"We must be sharing the same dream brother!" the dog grabbed Finn's hands and the two began to spin around the room in excitement.

"Trained by the Train! Trained by the Train! Trained by the Train! Whoa! Hahaha!" they sang merrily.

"I don't know why this doesn't sound like such a good idea to me…" Marceline whispered, "But we don't have any other options left, right?"

"No miss…" the Mayor giggled trying to suppress his own excitement.

"And who are those warriors we're going to fight with in two weeks?" Flame Princess asked poking the old man's arm.

"Oh, you wanna see them? I'll show you a picture, then!" The Mayor ran to one of his cabinets and messed up all his stuff trying to find the photo, "Haha! I found it! Behold, the Farm's mighty warriors!"

The Ice King glanced at the picture "What's so great about some filthy…? No way! Huntress Wizard?!"

Finn and Jake pushed the altered king away and grabbed the picture "Hey, we know these guys! "The Science cat, Donny (wasn't him with Jungle Princess?), Snorlock, Xergiok, Party Pat?, Abracadaniel and… Tiffany?!"

"Hehe…Hahaha!" Jake fell on the floor laughing crazily "Mighty warriors? Yeah right, the tournament's going to be a piece of cake!"

"Jake… you outta have more respect for your opponents…" the young hero stared at the picture again "Pffft…! Tiffany! Hehe…"

Finn and Jake kept laughing while the rest of their teammates tried to understand what was so funny about the Farm's warriors, let's just hope that their ego doesn't betray them in the end.

Meanwhile on the other side of the island, the sea had pushed a small crystal bottle with a very important letter inside, into the white sands of the isle's shore. Will it ever be found by one of our heroes-to-be?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Hi there, I think this chapter was more like a filler but I can't really tell if it was good or not. The most important thing is that you may have enjoyed it and... oh Glob...Season five's comming next week! Let's all be happy for that.

Thank you for sharing your opinion, that always makes my day :)

Have a nice week and see you next Tuesday!


	38. Toughening Up: the Train's Training!

Tale 38: Toughening up, the Train's training!

Her hand reached for a drawer and pulled it backward to reveal a pair of safety goggles; she stretched the band over her head and let them slap her face. A white lab coat covered her pink clothes, and a pair of yellow gloves were ready to shield her delicate hands from the hazardous chemicals she was getting ready to work with.

Cold ceramic floor, white walls, test tubes, microscopes and shelves full of books lacking of nice colorful drawings and short words surrounded her. Oh yeah, Princess Bubblegum was finally in her element… She took a pencil and a ruler while her feet stopped to face the giant Periodic Table which was adorning one of the walls.

"It's Science time!" the excited princess declared.

"Wenk."

Bubblegum wasn't expecting that as a response from her scientist partner, Doctor Princess. The pink-haired gal turned around slowly and met a pair of familiar eyes offering her a smoky cup of coffee.

"Gunter?" Princess Bubblegum whispered arching her eyebrow "I thought you were with the Ice…" her words trailed off as she noticed two yellow flowers adorning the small penguin's head.

"Wenk." The aquatic bird blinked offering the coffee mug once more.

The sugary ruler blinked back in response not really knowing what to do about that particular situation.

"Oh, Ginger!" Doctor Princess' voice echoed behind her "That's so nice of you, mind if I ask you for another cup for me?"

"Wenk." Said penguin replied before placing her cup on the floor just in front of Bubblegum's feet and waddled away.

Princess Bubblegum's mouth was still wide opened when Ginger reached the lab's door, whipped back to stare at her, and pointed the coffee with her flippers as if she was saying "Go on, take it!"

"Ugh…" that was all our pink princess could muster after the penguin left.

"That Ginger is a sweetie, isn't she?" Doctor Princess giggled after she entered the room "Hah… penguins are loyal hard workers…"

"I thought the Ice King was the only one who used penguins as servants…" Bubblegum said.

"Oh, no! They are not my servants!" the doctor smiled "I found a an entire family of penguins when I was leaving the continent and brought them with me, guess they are just helping me as a favor for saving their lives."

Bubblegum crouched down and picked up the coffee mug "So that forgetful loony left them behind… Well, I'm glad your paths have crossed."

The two scientists finished with their preparations and set up immediately to begin their research. Doctor Princess had stored a piece of lung tissue from one of the deceased victims of the mysterious fog; she put a small sample in a crystal case and introduced it into her microscope.

"I have examined many samples since the mist first appeared, but I'm unable to identify the components that are added to the victim's tissue, there's nothing like this in my holo-computer's data or in my books. Perhaps you may be able to help me with this. If we can determine what's affecting the tissue, we may be able to fight the infection back…" Doctor Princess explained.

Bubblegum folded her arms and nodded, then she walked to the table and leaned on the microscope adjusting the instrument's focal point to analyze the sample better. It didn't take long for the princess to gasp in surprise.

"I-I've seen this before…!"

"Really?!" the other scientist replied in excitement, ignoring the fear in Princess Bubblegum's voice.

"Dr. Princess… tell me, what have the people of the other islands done with their deceased? Did they bury them?!"

The doctor shoved her hands in her coat's pockets and tilted her head in confusion "Yeah, what else?"

Bubblegum's eyes widened in terror "Is there a way in which I can communicate with them?! This is an emergency!"

"Wh-what's wrong with that sample?!"

The pink-haired scientist grabbed her shoulders "It's turning into zombie flesh, we gotta alert those people and tell them to incinerate those bodies now!"

Just then Finn and Jake slammed the door open in excitement, followed by the other members of the gang, who didn't look so enthusiastic by the way. Bubblegum let go of her science partner and ran to meet them.

"Guys, did you get the cosmic weapon? There's a-…"

"Cosmic weapon? Ha! You wish…" Marceline replied tiredly "Apparently, if we want that cosmic weapon, we'll have to win it…"

"Win it?" Princess Bubblegum grinned nervously, like if she was about to go insane "W-what do you guys mean by that? Explain yourselves 'cause I-I don't see how…"

"The Mayor will give it to us if we defeat the Farm's team in a hand-to-hand fighting tournament!" Finn answered like if it was the coolest deal in the world.

"Yeah, and guess what!" Jake added jumping up and down repeatedly.

"What…?" the pink girl mumbled feeling like fainting in any second.

"The Train's going train us throughout these next two weeks until the tournament begins!"

"Training? Two weeks? Tournament…?" Bubblegum whispered before the world spun around her and everything went black.

/

Princess Bubblegum lied unconscious on a couch for twenty minutes; the Ice King created some ice cubes and wrapped them in a cloth to put it on the bump her head got after no one was able to stop her fall when she blacked out, Jake took off her shoes and her goggles so she could rest comfortably, and Gunther's baby cat licked her sweet foot insistently. The bubblegum-flavored girl giggled softly in her sleep as the kitten kept doing this.

"Stop it will ya? It feels weird…!" she chuckled opening her lids slightly.

"Meow…"

That took her off guard; for a second Bubblegum thought that she was in the Candy Kingdom, lying in her bedroom but those large blue eyes staring into hers creeped her out causing the princess to kick the cat away with a fearful shriek.

"Meow…" the pink kitten repeated after its body bounced in the wall, just like if nothing had happened.

"Wenk!" Bubblegum saw another penguin, identical to Gunter, entering the room to aid the cat and hiss at her angrily.

"Gunter?"

"What, are you blind?" the Ice King's voice replied as he passed by followed by another penguin "It's perfectly obvious that Gunter is standing behind me and this girl here…" he pointed the penguin that was hugging the kitten "Is Gunther…!"

Finn's hand appeared out of nowhere and smacked the wizard's head "Dude, stop messing up her brain!" the boy scolded "She must have the heck of a headache already!"

"But I'm just showing her the great difference between Gunter and Gunther!" the Ice King rebuked.

"Guys…" Doctor Princess called after her head popped out of the lab's door "You have to see this…"

The green-skinned medic led them to another chamber of her laboratory where the rest of their friends were waiting; everyone was staring at a holo-screen with perplexed eyes and clenched fists. They were staring at some devastated images of what used to be their homeland.

Bubblegum was the last one to enter; she was still holding the ice on her head. "What's going on? Did you-…?" she mumbled.

"Don't worry, I already warned the surrounding islands…" Doctor Princess said trying to comfort the stressed princess "They are taking care of the problem right now, see?"

She pointed a window from where, even if it was already dark, various columns of black smoke were visible. Bubblegum placed a hand on her chest and sighed with relief.

"That's fine and everything, but it's not obviously going to solve the problem…" the Vampire Queen said "The mist is going to keep coming every night and this is the only island that can repel it thanks to that huge windmill."

"Yeah and not only that," the doctor touched the screen and projected a different scene. It was an aerial view of the land of Ooo. "The Lich has been doing something weird in these past few days, just take a look at this."

Doctor Princess zoomed the screen and the image of the feared enemy became clearer. The Ooo they used to know was gone; everything was darkness except for a greenish glow produced by the fog, which steamed from his rotten body. Everyone watched in silence until the medic pointed something strange happening in the screen. It was a long line of shiny dots drifting toward the undead magician.

"Those glowing things… what are they? I saw them yesterday and-…"

"Souls…" Marceline interrupted "Those things are souls and he's absorbing them."

"S-souls?" Jake stammered in fear.

"It's just like my father said when we were at the Nightosphere, once the Lich is finished with the land he's going to start with the other dimensions. I guess that those souls belong to the Land of the Dead and whoever dies tonight will join those lines becoming part of the Lich's zombie hordes…"

"That explains why Death was so uneasy…" the dog added remembering the meeting he was spying in Hunson Abadeer's office.

"So…Ooo was destroyed and everyone there became a zombie," Finn reflected "And now that mist is going to do the same with the islands? Isn't there a safe place left in the planet?"

"No." Princess Bubblegum answered grimly "That's why we can't keep wasting our time, we have to get the other three cosmic weapons and face the Lich! That's our only chance to save the world…"

"Right but, first we have to take care of this situation." Doctor Princess instructed after resetting the Ooo's overworld map in her holo-screen "Now that we know what's going on, we can work on a cure for the disease but that may take us some time…"

"Not exactly, I have already figured the formula that reverts the zombification process." Bubblegum replied feeling (for once) glad of the incidents she provoked while she was developing her Decorpsinator Serum "All we have to do is to use it so that it's effect works on living people and eradicates the zombie DNA in their bodies, doing that would take us… umm… less than two weeks!"

"Great! That means we can take Train's training right?" the human boy asked with eyes full of desire.

"Amm…training?" the pink princess whispered nervously "Finn, we can't-…"

"Did anyone said TRAIN?" a booming voice filled everyone's ears as the legendary fighter jumped inside the room "The Mayor told me that you were going to help me win this year's match, are you ready for it?!"

"Mi-mister Train…there are more import-…" Princess Bubblegum tried to explain but…

"I said, ARE YOU READY FOR IT?!" the railroad track man yelled vigorously leaning over the exhausted candy woman.

"Sir, yes sir!" the once frightening princess replied ready to obey his commands.

"That's how I like it!" the Train commented placing his fists on his hips "We'll start tomorrow before sunrise, I want your cabooses ready at 4 am!"

"What?!" "Aw man…" "I'm tired!" "What about breakfast?" the whole gang complained.

"I said 4 am, peeps! Well see ya in a few hours! Hehe!" the wrestler laughed as he leaved a group of annoyed soon-to-be-heroes behind "Please have a good rest, while you can!"

"Couldn't we just steal the damn thing?!" Marceline said glaring the adventurer siblings.

"Marcy please, take this as an opportunity of getting stronger!" Finn replied in a nervous manner "It'll help us on our journey!"

"What would really help me is a soft bed and twenty hours of sleeping, but that's too much to ask for, right?!" the vampire growled in response.

"You guys better look for an inn or something like that, I'll stay here and help Dr. Princess with the new serum!" Bubblegum suggested after a while hoping that working on the antidote would save her from the training.

"Oh, that won't be necessary!" Doctor Princess stated gently "You can stay here, I have some futons in my basement. And Princess, don't worry. Just give me the recipe of your Decorpsinator Serum and I'll finish the work for you!"

"R-really?" Princess Bubblegum cursed her luck mentally.

"Of course! I've noticed that you have a tendency of getting stressed all of a sudden, you need to relax!"

"Yeah, Princess!" Jake smiled patting her shoulder "You could have killed us this afternoon, who knows what'd happen if you don't-…"

"Thanks Jake…" Bubblegum sighed covering his mouth "Okay fine, let's go to bed everyone… and Doctor… don't forget it, four is the number which you must apply in the formula."

"Got it!" a penguin waddled by her side "Good timing Goonther! Please show them the way to the basement and then take them to the spare room, the one where we stored all those empty cereal boxes remember?"

"Wenk!" Goonther squawked waddling through their legs.

"Sleep well my friends!" Doctor Princess waved happily as they disappeared behind her lab's door "It's nice to have some company other than penguins…"

/

The eight warriors slept peacefully on the floor, there was no light outside but still some livestock were already roaming in the nearby fields. Some chickens clucked softly joining the sound of the early-riser crickets while a rooster flapped his wings to reach the top of Doctor Princess' house fence. It's crow filled the heavy sleepers' ears inside the house but they never really heard it.

Susan's face was buried in her pillow; Marceline was a mess in her blankets, Flame Princess had kicked away her sheets at some hour of the night while Bubblegum didn't shifted her resting position at all. The Ice King was still dribbling his futon, Finn was sleeping in a strange posture and Jake was barking and wagging his tail softly in his sleep while the legendary Billy's head was hung down in his meditating position accompanied by his own snores.

It was surely a tranquil morning; it would really be a shame if someone dared to…

"CHOO! CHOO! FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!"

…Mess it up.

The Train stepped inside holding a megaphone in his right hand and blowing a whistle with the other "C'mon, its time! Get moving!"

"Ugh…" a collective groan replied leading the wrestler to hold up his megaphone again.

"I SAID IT'S TIME! MOVE YOUR LAZY CABOOSES OUT OF BED OR I'LL DRAG YOU OUT!"

Slowly but sure, the eight heroes-to-be rose from their comfortable cushions rubbing their heavy eyes, scratching their backs, yawning and messing their hair even more than it already was.

"That's good! C'mon! Steady pace! Steady pace! I want everyone outside!" the Train yelled as he followed his trainees into the field and then counted them to make sure everybody was there "We are missing two of them…" he murmured walking back inside.

Susan Strong and Flame Princess seemed to have been the first ones in getting up only to fall together in the same mattress yearning for five more minutes of sleeping. The locomotive man sighed as he waved his head sideways and crouched down next to them.

"Ladies, get up now!"

"Susan needs rest…"

"Flame Princess too…"

It seemed that they wanted it the hard way; the Train spat on his hands and rubbed them eagerly before he grabbed both girls' ankles and began to pull them out. He didn't expect them to give him such a fight, especially the smaller one, who grasped the door as if her life depended on it.

Once the Train had finally gathered everyone out, he proceeded with his introduction.

"Good morning guys, as some of you may already know it, I am the TRAIN! And I don't really care about your names, the Train has a terrible memory and we don't have enough time to learn your names so, I'll just call you with whatever nickname I like to. Questions?"

Jake raised his hand.

"Yes dog?"

"Can we have breakfast now? My belly is making the rumblies…"

"HAHAHA! No…" the wrestler replied, "If you want to eat your breakfast, you'll first have to complete the early-morning training!"

"What?! Come on! We're hungry!" the trainees cried.

"That's how things will work from now on!" the Train explained, "You want breakfast, you must complete morning training first. You want lunch; you must complete noon's training first. You want dinner…"

"We must complete night's training first…" Marceline interjected while she got her large hat on before the sun comes out "Can't we get started with this already? I'm cold…"

"Hahaha! Don't worry, here comes your warming up training!" the Train said as his thumb pointed a wooden cart pulled by a skinny horse and driven by an old yellow-skinned farmer. "Hellow good man!" the machine warrior greeted.

"Good morning… youngsters, I'm here to drop the milk…" his eyes widened in surprise after saying that "Oh! What in the name of Glob are you doing awake? It's too early!"

"It's okay milkman, my students offered themselves voluntarily to do your job for the next two weeks!"

"Excuse me?!" Princess Bubblegum shrieked in horror.

"That sounds nice mister, but-…" the milkman tried to speak.

"Don't worry good sir, just take it as a gift for all your hard work!" the Train insisted grabbing the heavy crates filled with milk bottles from the wagon and handed them to the gang.

"Are you sure? You can use the cart if you-…"

"Mr. milkman, it's okay. My warriors are trained to carry heavy stuff!"

"We are trained to do what?!" Flame Princess complained.

"B-but…throughout the whole island?! Even going up the windmill's hill?!" the farmer insisted in astonishment.

"Yeah, no probs!" the Train pushed him and his horse back to their farm "Get back to your bed and sleep all you want, it's a cold morning and we don't want you to get sick, right guys?"

"…"

"GUYS!"

"No, no!" "Please, enjoy your warm blankets!" We don't mind breaking our backs here!" "Go, on! Mister!" their answers were full of hypocrisy.

"What kind of dirty joke is this?" the Vampire Queen asked angrily once the old man was gone "Do we look like milkmen to you?!"

"This is a very ancient form of training and its also one of my favorites!" the Train explained trying not to laugh, "You'll deliver the milk in every house, people will be waking up soon and they have to find new milk bottles at their doors when that happens! Now get moving! I want to see you jogging!"

"Pst, whatever…" the vampire replied as she began to float forward.

"NO FLOATING, FLYING OR STRETCHING ALLOWED!" her trainer yelled through his megaphone almost blowing her away.

* * *

_**Day one: Morning Training!**_

Thus the now milkmen heroes embarked on their tiring mission of supplying people's fridges all over Guru Island with healthy milk. Finn started with great enthusiasm and managed to convince Flame Princess, Susan and Jake of making it a challenge just for fun. The dog had a nice start but his energy quickly diminished as soon as he reached the second house. Billy followed the couple and the hyooman closely but he didn't join their challenge, his long years of experience told him that the key was to keep a certain rhythm on his pace that would allow him to finish his duty without fainting like the yellow dog he had just left behind.

Marceline was running behind Billy, she knew that she was tough enough to handle it, but she was too lazy to do her best. Instead, the Vampire Queen decided to stay behind with the slow runners. Jake, the Ice King and a very exhausted Princess Bubblegum.

"What is it Bonnibel? Are you asthmatic or something?"

"I'm not…used to run…long distances…much least while…carrying heavy stuff…"

"That's what happens when you let your servants do everything for you." Marceline chuckled.

"Shut up…! Between my royal duties…and my science…I don't have time to…go out and do some exercise…!" Princess Bubblegum raised her head and watched Finn, Flame Princess and Susan running up the hill at a good speed "Where do they…keep all that energy…?"

"It's just their enthusiasm, it won't take long before the three of them run out of steam…"

Finn reached another door, pulled out a bottle filled with creamy milk and swapped it with the empty one on the floor as fast as he could "I'm going to…beat you girls!"

"Yeah…?" Flame Princess panted, "We'll see…about that…!"

"Susaaaaan!" the hyooman yelled as she passed them by at lightning speed causing Finn and Flame P to groan in exhaustion.

/

By noon the Train decided to climb the windmill's hill and found his team lying down. Their tongues were stuck out, their chests were still crying for air and they were soaked in sweat. Next to them, his eyes (if he had any) noticed the eight crates full of empty bottles.

"A good job, done in time…" he whispered crossing his arms "Well done, you have earned your breakfasts!"

"Yay!" the whole group exclaimed raising their aching fists.

"Do you want me to get you down in the farmer's cart?" the Train asked knowing that they were unable to move a muscle.

"Yes…PLEASE!"

"Fine. Tomorrow you'll do the same thing but this time, instead of jogging, you'll do it skipping!"

"Naggghhh..."

* * *

_**Day one: Noon Training!**_

"You see this big boulder here?" the Train said confidently.

After literally devouring their breakfasts, the eight-fighters-in-training were ready to continue with their workout. Their bodies were numb and exhausted, but it wasn't like if they could complain anyway.

"When you manage to crush it with your bare hands, you'll be ready to fight the Farm and the training will be over!"

"Really?!" Susan Strong asked in excitement.

"That's right!" the iron-headed man raised his index finger "But it's not as easy as it seems, it takes years of hard work, pain and sweat to build the muscles required to-…"

His voice trailed off when he caught Susan in the corner of his eye; she stood in front of the boulder and tilted her head sideways while her green eyes studied it closely. Then, the tall woman embraced the rock with her both arms and squeeze it with all her strength making it crumble to her feet.

The Train dropped his jaw in astonishment causing a metal thud to echo in the field when it hit the ground "I-I…I-I…I said that boulder?!" he scanned the area searching for a bigger one "I was kidding, I was talking about this…." He ran to a rock that could be easily confused with a small mountain "This rock!"

Susan caught up with the Train and pocked the rock with disappointment "Susan can't break rock, not strong enough…"

"It's okay Cathat, that's why I'm training you! Haha!"

"Train?" Finn called raising his hand "You can really crush that rock?"

The railroad-themed wrestler put his hands on his hips and laughed loudly facing the heavens "Of course Bearboy! The Train's got the wheels to smash anything into tiny puny pieces!"

The human's eyes grew in amazement "Whoa…! I wanna see that! Smash it!"

"Hahaha! Huh? You mean right now?" his voice sounded nervous "No way! I'll show you the power of my muscles later! Right now we gotta focus on toughening you guys up!"

"I don't believe anything of what he just said…" Billy murmured so only his teammates could hear him.

Princess Bubblegum and Marceline nodded in agreement.

"Mr. Train!" the Ice King called "Hey dude, over here! I have a question!"

"Yes, Smurf-guy?"

"When we finish with this regimen, will my pecs look like yours?"

"No… now let's begin with the second part of your training!" the Train pushed some bushes away to reveal a long field that ended at the island's shore "I want you to run that distance as fast as you can! Pump your blood, show me your speed!"

"But we just ran around the whole island carrying…!" Bubblegum was about to complain when Jake stepped forward.

"I don't feel like running anymore…"

"Don't worry guys, it's okay if you don't have enough enthusiasm to run…" the maroon-colored man said calmly.

"You mean it?!" a very surprised Flame Princess replied.

"Sure, you guys just need some motivation!" he walked to a nearby tree and punched it with his fist to knock down a beehive "Those bees' stings hurt like hell! Run!"

A black whirlwind of buzzing insects flew out of the broken beehive to chase our heroes around the field while the Train kept yelling them to stop running in circles and focus on reaching the ocean.

"These bees can't stand the salty breeze!" he shouted.

"They can't stand smoke either!" Bubblegum remembered "Flame Princess!"

"I wouldn't do that Hotstuff! Special abilities are forbidden in the tournament!"

"But this isn't the tournament, this is real life!" the fiery girl responded as she conjured some fire in her hand.

"Yeah? Well, do you wanna miss lunch?!" a grin was formed on his track-head.

"Oh, for Gob's sake!" Flame Princess growled making her fire disappear.

* * *

_**Noon Training: phase two! **_

Marceline raised her arm to take off the large sun hat on her head, when her eyes glimpsed the bruises, the cuts and the stings on her pale limb she closed them in resignation and tried to chill out the rage growing inside her. If everything depended on the Vampire Queen, she would have already stolen the ring from the island's Mayor but no. Everyone had to remind her all the time how not-honest stealing was, her friends seemed to prefer the constant yelling and tortures, which that Train guy kept calling training, instead.

The vampire dropped her hat on the shiny wooden floor and proceeded to remove her red leather boots as well. Once on her bare feet, she put her boots next to Finn and Bubblegum's shoes (Marceline couldn't still believe that the rest of them were bare-footed all the time) and entered the place known as…

"Welcome to the Train's Dojo!" her trainer said as he led them into a nice tatami room "Here is were the real action begins! The tournament is supposed to be based on hand-to-hand combat, so we will start by testing your skills in that subject!"

"What did I miss?" the vampire asked sitting down on Indian-like style next to her flaring friend.

"Not much, I think this guy is finally going to let us fight…" Flame Princess murmured in response.

"Great, I wanna be the last one!" Marceline closed her eyes and yawned "Goodnight."

"Pinkface, Gothpunk! Please go to the center of the stage!" the Train ordered much to the last one's dismay.

Princess Bubblegum and Marceline did as told in a reluctant way and stared at each other not knowing what to do next. The iron-headed man sighed in disappointment and instructed them to acquire offensive stands.

"Now, when I say 'go!' I want you two to show me what you've got! Ready? Go!"

The two girls circled each other waiting for their respective attacks, Bubblegum struck first but Marceline ducked her swiftly to cross her leg right in the other one's way and made the princess trip and kiss the floor.

"Well done vampire!" the Train crossed his arms and glanced at PB "Get up candy!"

Princess Bubblegum rubbed her face and glared at the black-haired girl with determination, then lunged over Marceline again and grasped her arm tightly.

"Don't tell me that you were actually going to…" she freed herself from Bubblegum reverting the attack in the process. Marceline held the princess' arm and hit it with her elbow. "Use that move with me."

Bonnibel fell on her knees holding her arm but quickly got back on her feet to punch the vampire's face, Marceline dogged the attack and their combat went like that for a while, with the Princess struggling to connect a hit on the Queen while the last one avoided each strike skillfully.

But then, in a moment of overconfidence, the Vampire Queen let her guard down and Bubblegum managed to throw her right arm at her. The vampire ducked the attack just by mere luck but when she turned her face to the other side the princess' left fist reached her nose.

"Auw!" Marceline covered her sensible nose with her hand and noticed she was bleeding "That actually hurt, Bonnie…" she growled as she began to step forward menacingly.

"Ma-Marceline…don't!" Bubblegum stammered nervously "This is just a practice, remember? This isn't serious, don't you dare to-! Marceline, no!"

"You're gonna pay for that!" the pale girl shouted running toward her.

Finn and the others remained in their sitting posture turning their heads from one side to the other following Marceline and Bubblegum's chase around the room while the Train used his whistle in a failed attempt to stop the two girls' mess.

"These are going to be longest two weeks of my life…" Train sighed "HEY STOP IT WILL YA!?"

* * *

_**Day one: Night Training! **_

After the Train cancelled the Dojo practice due to them all being too messy and almost destroying his personal training room, the railroad warrior took the trainees back to Doctor Princess' place and ordered them to sit in small desks while he scribbled something in a chalkboard.

Finn stared at him silently until his own boredom took the best of him and he began to swing his chair backwards playfully.

"Okay everyone, listen!" he glared at the boy and he immediately stopped playing with the chair "As I was saying, a warrior is made of two things. His strength and his brain, you must never depend on your strength alone! The power of the mind is also very important, understood?"

"Yes sir!" Jake replied.

"Great! So I must assume that you know your brain is a muscle and it has to be trained as well?"

"Indeed." Princess Bubblegum answered.

"Perfect! Now we can start working with math!"

"Whoa! Hold on, you mean math like 'Oh that's so math!' or math like numbers and junk?" Finn asked anxiously.

"Numbers and junk." Train said.

"BUT-…! THAT'S MATH DUDE!"

"Shut up and open your books on page forty!" the wrestler faced the chalkboard and continued to write on it "Now, as Pythagoras stated h2= a2+b2…"

* * *

_**Night Training: phase two! **_

Many left Train's math class with a worse headache than they already had before, it seemed that the only one who could enjoy this part of the training was of course, Princess Bubblegum. But that didn't matter at all, for she knew that Pythagoras would never come in handy in the midst of a battle.

The sugary princess shook her head in an attempt to forget about numbers and focus on the last training course that the Train had reserved for them. Her ears caught the sound of waves crashing; they were walking toward the shore again.

Their feet sunk in the white sand right when their iron-headed coach made a sudden stop. He crossed his muscled arms and sighed while staring at the ocean.

"It's been a hard first day of training, huh?" he began, catching everyone's interest "I think it's time for you to relax, this exercise will be nice. You just have to get into the water and swim all the way to that buoy in the open sea and then get back to the shore a couple of times."

"Are you sure?" a jacked up Ice King questioned "No more heavy stuff to carry, no more bees, no more math?!"

"I promise, none of those things you just mentioned are going to happen." The Train assured.

"Hehe! Then what are we waiting for?!" the old loony exclaimed taking off his blue tunic and crown to jump into the water.

"Agh! Dude!" the golden bulldog complained covering his eyes "Not in front of the ladies!"

"Hehehe, c'mon guys!" Ice King called after squirting some water with his mouth "The temperature is perfect!"

Finn sat down on the sand and began to take off his shoes, socks, hat and shirt "Maybe this turns out to be a good thing after all." The human walked to the borderline between the water and the ground; there he stared at his greatest fear for a moment.

He had met the ocean and she wasn't that bad, there was nothing to be afraid of. Finn made six more steps toward the sea and touched it with his toe, just when his skin entered in contact with the water, he shrieked and fell backwards.

His teammates gave him an uncertain look, haven't him defeated his fear already? But Finn simply replied, "Ice King, you butt! The water is frozen!"

"Whatcha mean? It's perfect for me!" the wizard laughed.

"Hey, I'm hearing too much 'blah, blah', and I need you to swim!" the Train yelled "C'mon! Into the water, everyone! One, two! One, Two!"

Finn, Billy and Jake jumped into the ocean trying to suppress a squeal when the cold water licked their bodies. Susan joined them actually looking more excited than the rest about swimming; the cold couldn't make her shiver, the fluffy animal pelt she wears as a dress kept her warm effectively.

Train grinned watching them swim, but some of his trainees were still sitting on the shore. He glanced at the three girls on his right and yelled in exasperation "What are you waiting for?! An invitation?!"

The Vampire Queen stuck out her forked tongue with apathy "Yeah right, I'm not getting wet…"

"So you'd rather be hungry than wet? Remember, your dinner is at stake!"

Marceline thought about it for a moment "Okay, Fine!" she removed one of her boots "But I'm just gonna take off my shoes!"

"Same here!" Princess Bubblegum replied.

"I don't care what you wear or not to swim, just do it!" Train crossed his arms and chuckled silently "_They don't know that sharks like swim around here at night, these guys are going to swim like crazy…hehe!" _ A bright light flickered on his face "Hey! Get moving already!"

Flame Princess clutched her knees leaning her chin over them "As if…"

"I think I made myself clear enough Flamy…" her trainer growled.

"I'm too young to die, I'm not going into the water!" Flame P stared at him defiantly "Fire elementals-can't-swim!"

"Then I'm afraid to inform you that…YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO ALL THE SWIMMERS, NO DINNER FOR YOU!" the wrestler yelled using his megaphone literally sending the flaring princess backwards "And if someone dares to feed her, there will be consequences! Did ya hear that?!"

"Sir, yes si-…" the Ice King's voice trailed off "Did someone just…bit my butt?!"

"Eww…!" Jake moaned in disgust "Who on Earth would want to-… wait, is that a shark?"

"OH MY GLOB!"

* * *

"_Tatata…!"_ Doctor Princess hummed while she served several steaming plates full of delicious food on the table "Dinner's ready!" she sat next to Bubblegum and asked, "So, how was your first day of training guys?"

"Neeegh…" everyone's exhausted groans replied.

"Oh… well I hope this food helps you all feel better!" the medic smiled.

At least for everyone allowed to sit at the table, Doctor Princess' food had a miraculous effect until the Train reminded them that he'd be back at 4 am to get them on training. While Jake listened to his favorite wrestler rambling about how today's training was nothing compared to what he had planned for tomorrow, he noticed that his brother was doing something weird with his food. Finn nodded to every word the Train said while his fingers reached for a piece of bread stealthy and shoved it under the table.

The golden bulldog raised an eyebrow feeling intrigued by Finn's behavior, but that was until his black round eyes rolled toward an empty seat. A suspicious grin formed on his lips "I should have known…" Jake whispered and elbowed the boy softly "You're gonna get in trouble man…!"

"I don't know what are you talking about…" the young hero objected quietly.

"You can't deceive your older brother, bro…"

"Hey!" Train interjected "What's up with the whispering? A true warrior never hides secrets from his mates!"

"Ah…umm…we were just…" Finn quickly searched for an excuse, just then his blue eyes spotted the wrestler's shinning bionic legs "I was telling Jake that bionic limbs are awesome and I really hope to get one due to an epic battle!"

"Finn!" Jake moaned in disapproval "What have I told you about bionic limbs?! Not natchy!"

"Let me have my dreams, man!"

"Heh, the boy's right!" Train chuckled "I'm like five times stronger and better than before thanks to these babies, Glob! I'm glad I know my friend!"

"Friend? He made you those? Can you introduce him to me?!" the human boy leaned forward as he attacked the Train with questions.

"Hahaha! No…" the warrior said.

/

A bottle hit the ground and exploded in shatters, after this happened, a penguin clapped her flippers and danced in delight around the mess she had created. Someone was passing by at that moment and giggled with the scene, since the first time she saw a penguin, Flame Princess knew they were troublemakers by instinct.

"Gunther!" she heard the Ice King's squeaky voice yell "Why can't you be like Gunter and go to sleep already?!"

"Wenk! Wenk, wenk…wenk!" the bird squawked with anger.

"Yeah, all right! I get it!" the old wizard complained, "I let you down and now I must repay you!"

"Wenk!"

"I get it, Ice King promises to never leave you guys behind ever again…"

"Wenk! Wenk!"

"Yeah…more bottles are on the way, just give me a little break! I'm tired!"

The fire elemental smiled to herself leaving those two behind to continue with her short stroll, she didn't know how her feet could still keep her walking after such a fatiguing day. She wished to lie down and sleep more than anything, but her noisy stomach wouldn't let her. It was just like when her father used to send her to bed without eating for complaining insistently about being locked in the lantern.

"Well… I could just take some wood and turn it into coal…" she murmured "But I'm not in the mood for coal…"

Flame Princess dropped the idea and went into Doctor Princess' place; most of her friends were already snoring comfortably on their futons except for Princess Bubblegum –who was in the lab with Dr. Princess– and the Ice King, who was still looking for empty bottles so his penguin would break them.

Flame P covered a yawn as she sat down lazily and rubbed her eyes, the blurry image of a small package over her pillow appeared when she opened her lids. A couple of intrigued blinks followed until her hand held it up, there was a note attached to it.

"_Hey, where are you? I wanted to give you this but I can't find you! Anyway, I'm just gonna leave it here for you…I hope that-…"_ some words were cross out _"Oh, Glob! I think he saw me! Well, I'm outta here!"_

_~Finn_

"Finn?" she unwrapped the package revealing a piece of bread within it. Her body grew brighter involuntarily as her amber irises drifted to the other side of the room searching for him, it was until then when she realized that Finn wasn't in his bed either.

"_IT'S TWO HUNDRED LAPS AROUND THIS FIELD FOR BREAKING THE RULES! C'MON BEARHAT, WE CAN STAY THE WHOLE NIGHT HERE IF YOU WANT TO! HAHA!" _

Flame Princess leaned on a window and glanced through it. The Train stood arms-crossed proud of teaching the ways of discipline and obedience through a classic punishment, while his victim jogged looking just as proud but for a different reason. Finn was probably aware that something like this would happen if he shared some food with her and smiled at the ground knowing that he wasn't wasting his sweat just for being rebellious, it was for her. It was always for her.

/

Ice King created another frozen lightning bolt and handed it to Gunther. The penguin grabbed it excitedly and threw it against a row of empty bottles placed in front of her. The lightning flew over the flasks, not even grazing one of them.

"Haha, looks like you missed this time!" the old king laughed causing the bird to trash around him frantically "Hey quit with the tantrum already!"

Gunther glanced at him menacingly and bit his leg.

"Gah! Gunther! You're nasty sweetie! Nast-…!" a green flare whizzed right in front of his long pointy nose and broke through one of the bottles' center cleanly.

The blue wizard stared at the falling crystals aimlessly and then turned around slowly noticing how Gunther was now embracing his bitten leg in fear. There was a rustle on the bushes behind him followed by the arrival of an unexpected visitor.

He could recognized her gleaming cat-like eyes anywhere, "Hu-Huntress Wizard?! What are ya doing here?!"

She was definitively one of the weirdest hotties he had ever seen, a black mask covered her greenish face and a brown hood did the same with her leaved-hair. The two branches on top of her head had always struck him as antlers although he wasn't sure if that's what they really were. The mysterious wizard carried a quiver full of green arrows and a black cape on her back, which made the Ice King wonder, where is her bow? She even wears an archery glove in her right hand, but he had never seen her using a bow.

"S'up Ice King…" the huntress replied.

"Where the floop did you come from?! I thought you and that Farm wouldn't arrive here until…amm…in two weeks!"

"I may be part of the Farm's team but that doesn't mean I have to be attached to them all the time, donk… Besides, I rather travel alone." She leaned on a tree and crossed her arms "I was looking for you."

"R-really?!" the Ice King asked in excitement while he clapped and jumped up and down like a kid _"I must be dreaming! Maybe one day of training was all I needed to become a booming lady-magnet! Hehe!"_

"Hey fool, stop it!" the forest dweller growled "Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be talking to you in the first place if I didn't have a good reason to do it!"

"Nawww, C'MON!" he complained glaring to the heavens.

"Hey! Focus!" Huntress wizard called snapping her fingers to catch his attention "I came here with a deal, you'd rather listen to it or force me to give ya a hard time living…"

"Okay, okay! There's no need to get rude!" the old sorcerer step forward entwining his fingers "Tell the Ice King what's this deal about…"

The hooded-girl grinned, "Look, it's very simple. My life's boring, so I'm always hanging around in search of a good challenge that would let me test my skills… You remember the 'Wizard Battle'?"

Ice King nodded.

"Do you really think I would risk my butt to kiss a gal?! Bleh!" she clenched her fists and engulfed them with a purple aura "No! I was looking for a good challenge and worthy foes to fight with!"

"I think you have some serious thirst for violence, girl. Have you ever heard the words 'Peace and Love'?"

"Have you ever heard the words 'Shut Up'?!"

"Sure! I hav…" Huntress wizard glared at him "I'm gonna shut my mouth now…"

"Wise choice. Anyway, you know why I joined that Farm guy now… Hanging with him would give me the chance to meet powerful warriors around all of Ooo and I see that you –Well, I'm not so sure about you…– and your friends as the best challenge I have ever faced. I mean, you're the crazy dudes who are willing to bring the all mighty Lich down and I gotta admit it, that's pretty math…"

The Ice King blushed "Whoa, ya really think so?! Hehe!"

"But there's something that's bothering me…" the huntress narrowed her eyes "Special abilities are forbidden in this tournament, how the fudge am I supposed to give my 100% percent in battle when my powers are being limited?!"

"Oh…! And what do I have to do with that issue of yours?"

"I need the help of your magic to brainwash the Mayor. Do you get it? You're gonna help me eliminate that stupid restriction from the match."

"So you can kick our butts in battle? I don't think so!" the blue wizard replied shaking his head.

"I'm not gonna do that, that's why I told you I came here looking for a deal." She walked toward him and stretched her hand "You guys give me a good battle so I can test my skills and I will let you win, deal?"

"Whoa, hold it there! Wouldn't that stain your wizard honor? Blow down your statistics or something?"

"Does it seem like if I care about that?"

The Ice King shook his head "Not at all…"

Huntress wizard grinned and shook his hand "It's a deal then!" she let go of him and hopped away "Meet me at the Mayor's place in one hour, do-not-let-me-down!"

The old man waved back at her nervously "Never in my life, hon!" Once she was out of sight he grasped his hand and yelped painfully "Geez, what a grip!"

/

Finn kept running around the field trying to keep his word of doing two hundred laps even though the Train had left him alone. The young adventurer knew that he could just quit and go to bed, but his code of honor forced him to remain loyal to his favorite wrestler.

All his muscles were burning out of strain, he felt that his heart was about stop beating in any second and his lungs would explode after that. His body wouldn't take all that effort any more; the day had been already exhausting enough, he wasn't supposed be running in the cold. He should be resting comfortably like the others. It just wasn't fair.

Finn chuckled weakly, he thought the Train was a hard guy but he never imagined he was that strict "C'mon Finn…" he panted to himself "You can do it… just two more laps…"

By the time he was already about to finish Finn wasn't even running anymore, much less walking. The human boy's legs had surrendered to exhaustion leading him to collapse onto the ground and crawl until he completed his task.

He found himself panting over his back for a long while; his body was hot and drenched in sweat. Taking off his hat helped a little, but what he really needed now was a doctor and a bed. Why didn't Finn just walk to Doctor Princess' lab? Simple, he couldn't even move a muscle.

Perhaps if he just closed his eyes and rested for a minute, the numbness in his entire body would diminish a little "What can I lose?" Finn sighed as he closed his lids and drifted into the sandman's realm.

"Hey…"

His ears caught the sound of someone's voice right next to him.

"Finn?"

He knew that voice.

"Hey, did you just die?"

Something began to poke his arm insistently and since there was no reaction, the poking sensation shifted to his chest. Finn moaned tiredly, he wanted to ignore it so he could keep sleeping but that was not going to happen.

"Hey! Open your eyes!" Now this voice was shaking him violently.

"Nooo…" the human boy yawned "Five more minutes…"

"If I leave you here you're gonna catch a cold."

Cold? That word reminded him of something, he was outside lying on the field! Finn had a hard time trying to make his eyes obey him and glance at the real world; they scanned his surroundings aimlessly for a while until they bumped with another pair of eyes. Golden eyes.

"Flame Princess…?"

She was knelt by his side still poking his chest in worry "Pheew… I thought something bad may have happened to you…" the princess sighed, "C'mon stand up, you can't stay here all night long."

"Yeah, about that… My body won't do anything for me at the moment. Heh…" Finn replied weakly.

"Then I'll carry you there!"

Flame Princess scooped him up with great effort and threw his arm over her shoulder hoping Finn would lean on her to walk, but instead the human boy lost his balance almost dragging her down with him.

"What's wrong Finn? Can't you walk?"

"I'm sorry… My entire body is numb…" Finn apologized although he didn't need to.

"It's okay, don't worry. Just get on my back."

"A-are you sure, Flame P?" he stammered with uncertainty.

"I can bear it, c'mon!" Flame Princess grabbed his arms and pulled them forward to get him on her back. Finn immediately wrapped his arms and legs around her body not wanting to hit the ground if he fell.

"I don't think this is a good a idea," the young hero protested as Flame Princess began to walk forward "The princess shouldn't carry the hero! It's unnatural."

"Finn, don't be silly!" she giggled "Some times even heroes need a hand."

"Yeah but, doesn't it bother you? I'm all sweaty and stinky!"

"So what? A chubby dog just complained about my smell, there's nothing to worry if we both are stinky."

Finn tilted his head and sniffed the air "You ain't stinky…"

"Well I don't know, he said I smell like an old lady's bathroom." The fiery girl shrugged "I can't tell if that's disgusting or not, I've never been in an 'old lady's bathroom.'"

Flame Princess noticed that Finn chuckled slightly and rested his chin on her shoulder. She felt a shiver going doing her spine as his breath tapped her neck gently "It isn't disgusting." He said, "I like your scent…"

The fire elemental couldn't help blushing. Her pace became faster and unsteady all of a sudden, she couldn't tell why.

/

Beemo squinted as a groan left his speakers; his eyes were focused on the cards before him. His plastic hand drew a new card from the deck on his right and a grin formed in his screen.

"I'll discard my Sega Hedgehog to activate the Atari Warrior!"

"W-wait! Is that a valid move?!" his opponent, the Train gasped.

"Everything's valid at Card Wars…" the video game declared "Now I floop the Super Arwing's canon 64 and enter my battle stage! Say good-bye to your creatures…"

The Train watched in horror how BMO's holographic warriors blasted away the cards on his side of the table "Unbelievable… you just smacked me to my tracks!"

"Indeed… Now bow to your sensei!"

"Hey guys!" Princess Bubblegum called from the other side of the room "Keep it down, we're working with dangerous chemicals here!"

The sugary scientist sighed as she returned to her chair; Doctor Princess was working next to her. She wrote down some notes and kept checking every now and then on a boiling test tube with some green liquid inside it.

"The formula seems to be responding quite well if you let me say it." Dr. Princess said, "I can assure you that in two weeks, we'll be ready to attack the effect's of the mist."

"Those are some great news…" Bubblegum smiled in relief "Doctor Princess, there's something I must ask you…"

"Right, you've got my entire attention."

"Have you ever heard about the Cyclop-…"

"Hold on, what's that?" the greenish medic interrupted failing totally to her last words. Princess Bubblegum rolled her eyes "I think someone's coming…!"

"_Huff… You didn't look so heavy…!"_

Bubblegum left her seat and glanced through the window, she couldn't help but to giggle at the image of Flame Princess struggling to carry a very exhausted Finn. "It looks like the last patient of the day's already here!" she announced.

Doctor Princess peeked at her wristwatch and sighed, "It was about time, I was starting to worry about that boy…" she sent a glance at the Train practically ordering him to go out and help Flame Princess with the semi-unconscious Finn.

They laid the human on the examination table and the doctor immediately proceeded to apply him her famous physiotherapy massages, which consisted in several painful twists and squeezes on his already jacked up muscles. The next step in her medical prescription was to send him into the shower along with Gonther and Gunder. Finn hated to bath, and hated it even more when two penguins were over him scrubbing his body.

"Here are some pills for the muscular pain," Doctor Princess said as she crouched down next to Finn's futon once he was ready to get some sleep "I have given them to your friends and it seems they are helping to sleep… although tomorrow's gonna hurt, but that's natural."

Finn swallowed them and stuck out his tongue in disgust "Bleh! What's this made of?"

"Medical secret, now close your eyes and sleep." She messed his hair and walked back to the lab's door "That Train guy is gonna keep pushing you for fourteen days so… you'd better get plenty of rest."

"Thanks doc, goodnight…"

Doctor Princess strode inside and found Flame Princess getting a long basic explanation from "Beemo sensei" on how to play Card Wards; she stepped close to the flaring girl and tapped her shoulder.

"You should be going to bed as well, it's too late and you guys have hard day awaiting for you tomorrow."

"But… Beemo is in the middle of a super complicated explanation of this game's rules! We'll need at least two more hours to finish and-…."

"Nah, nah… C'mon get moving." The doctor replied in a firm but sweet manner "Oh look! Finn must have left it behind after the penguins dragged him to the bathroom," Dr. Princess said as she lifted the white bear hat from the floor "Why don't you go and give it back, huh?"

"Fine…" Flame Princess received the hat and left the room lazily "See ya in the morning guys."

/

Inside everyone was seemed to be dead although they were just sleeping, it had been a hard day for everyone and it was obvious that nothing would be able to awaken them from their slumber, except maybe, the Train's yelling.

Flame Princess walked watching carefully where she stepped, her friends were all snoring on the floor and she didn't want to trip with them, Finn was cuddled in a corner but he wasn't sleeping yet. She wondered why and got close to him.

"Finn, I thought you were already asleep by now…" the fiery princess whispered.

Finn put his arms behind his head and smiled "I know, I was tired a while ago but now I can't keep my eyes closed!"

Flame P sat on her knees and showed him the white bear hat "Is this yours?" she joked.

"Glob, I had already forgotten about it!" he pointed his head with one finger "Please drop it here."

The Princess giggled giving him a nod and proceeded to place the hat where it belonged, her hand reached for the boy's head but stopped on mid-way noticing how messy his hair was.

"Say, do you even brush your hair?" she asked.

"Brush my hair? I thought that the only thing I had to brush were my teeth!" Finn frowned for a moment as if he was thinking in something "Guess it doesn't matter since I'm always wearing my hat!" he laughed.

Flame Princess touched his golden locks and sighed "Well, that's a shame 'cause you have such a nice hair…" her fingers began to roam through his soft hair automatically, she didn't even realize what she was doing until Finn's voice broke the silence.

"That feels nice, like really, really nice… Is that how brushing your hair feels like?"

The red-haired girl retrieved her hand nervously and gulped "I got carried away…"

"Hey, why did you stop? I liked that, it was helping me to sleep…" although the young hero's eyes were closed he could easy grasp Flame Princess' hand and pull it back to his head "Could you brush my hair until I fall asleep? Please Flame P…!"

It was the least she could do for him, Flame Princess began to stroke his blonde hair once more, giving herself the task of combing it and untying every knot carefully so that her boyfriend wouldn't wince as he fell asleep. The touch of her fingertips was surely working magic on him, in a matter of minutes Finn's breathing had softened and his tired muscles had relaxed thanks to the pleasant sensation in his scalp.

Once she had finished fixing his hair the fire girl took the bear hat and slid it down his head hiding that silky mine of gold from the rest of the world. Some rebellious bangs remained on his forehead, but she pushed them under the hat gently and stared at his face lost in thought.

Finn was finally resting peacefully; there wasn't a sign of anger, pain or sadness on his features, it was like if hadn't been straining his body all day and night long. If his muscles sore more than they should, it was because of all the things he had done for her. She really wished to thank him for that, but she hadn't found the words to do it.

When she found him lying in the grass he never cared to tell her why he had to overexert himself when nobody else was told to do it as well. Finn probably didn't want her to know that he had gotten a penalty just because of helping her.

Perhaps she could thank him in the same way, without letting him realize about it. Flame Princess leaned over Finn like if he was some kind of sleeping prince and kissed his lips. Would she have done that if she knew that Finn wasn't asleep? Because the truth was, that he wasn't.

The kiss took him off guard, his body tensed in surprise while his eyes opened and widened at the sight of her beautiful blushed face covering his. He wasn't expecting her to do that all of a sudden, in the past it had always been him the one brave enough to pull her into a kiss despite of their own nervousness; he suggested her to do it, he gave her the confidence to lean in. Flame Princess was always too shy or unsure to take the lead, but this time she wasn't.

His heart beats raced involuntary, he was still somewhat new to this kind of affection. Letting her invade his personal space in that way and having her breathe into his lungs triggered a sensation that was superior to what any stroke, any hug or any peck in the cheek could let him feel.

Finn kept dwelling on these thoughts until he felt Flame P's lips quiver. How stupid could he be? He had remained there lying in shock instead of returning the kiss, which caused him to want to slap his own face angrily. Flame Princess must have been feeling pretty awkward by now, she was probably also aware that this wasn't how he would expect her to act. He had to do something about it, he had to make her feel sure and let her know that he was enjoying it.

After all, she was the princess who loved him back and now was the time to do the same for her. Finn closed his eyes letting her dive in, his hand reached for her hair, he stroke it softly and pushed her down. He wanted her to abandon the uncomfortable position she was in by inviting her to lie over him, but that wasn't such a good idea.

Instead of relaxing, her muscles tensed even more, Finn noticed that she was scared and regretted making that move. They were still too young to understand what was happening between them, he didn't know what could have scared her so much to make her wish to pull away from him, but he didn't want it to happen.

The human managed to hold onto her lower lip in one last attempt to keep their kiss going, but Flame Princess slipped away despite how much he wanted her to stay. She drew herself back rubbing her arm nervously; her face was flushed beyond imaginable.

"I'm sorry…" she turned her face away and sighed "Jake is such a jerk…"

Finn flinched. Jake was a jerk? What in the world did that have to do with them? He pushed himself up to take a sitting position and tilted his head while giving her an uncertain look.

"It just… I bumped with him earlier and he began to talk about all those brave things you've done for me…" her fingers tapped the floor anxiously "He told me that you jumped after me when I was falling into the ocean and then mentioned that you were about to get in trouble because of me…"

The young hero began to make the connections and was almost sure about knowing what was going on.

"Well, I didn't know what he meant with the last part until I found your note…" Flame P finally dared to stare back at him and blushed even more "I-I just wanted to find a way to thank you…for everything…" She held her forehead in frustration "Then Jake started to talk about this book-!"

"What book?" Finn inquired curiously.

"I don't know, something about a Jay T. guy this and Jay.T guy that… Glob! Why would I even listen to him?!"

"Flame P…" Finn giggled. She looked cute when she was upset.

"I mean, since when Jake's word is law?!"

"Hey…"

"'Cause seriously… When has a fire elemental ever listened to a dog?!"

"Flame Princess!" the boy yelled to let his voice sound over hers.

"What?!"

"I love you."

Those three words could mean a great deal of things that Flame P had yet to discover, but for now she learned that they had two meanings. Finn would do anything for her no matter what, just as she'd do it for him and secondly, who cares if Jake suggested it or not? They both know that a kiss will always be welcomed between each other, even when it wasn't an expected one. It was a reminder of how they both feel for each other.

/

"I'm sorry, you wanted to ask me something?" Doctor Princess' voice echoed suddenly in the laboratory.

It took Princess Bubblegum's some minutes to stop staring at the chemical fluids she was stirring and realize that someone was talking to her "What? Oh, right!" she turned her chair slightly and faced the doctor "Do you know something about the Cyclops' tears?"

"Cyclops' tears? Let me see…" her hand held her chin "Hmmm…Yes, I do! I met a crew of clown nurses heading toward the Lumpy Space Kingdom; I rejected all their healing methods until they introduced me to Mr. See. His name is kinda like a joke, 'cause he's just a head with a big eye… and it also sounds like C, vitamin C is very adequate for your sight, hehe!"

"I-I know that," Bubblegum stated trying to make their conversation more serious "The thing is that, something weird happened to their powers the last time we used them… they weren't as effective as they used to…"

Doctor Princess nodded in understanding "I might have a clue of what happened with them, do you still have their container?" The pink princess handed the empty bottle so that her friend could analyze the tiny remains with her microscope "Just like I suspected… It happened the same with the sample that those clowns gave me…"

"What is it?"

"Cyclops' tears in their natural state lack of preservatives and they get spoiled with time, I guess that their magic is bound to lose its effect gradually if they are not used frequently."

"Crap…" Bubblegum moaned. Those tears were the answer to all their problems, without them any serious injury they might get would become a mortal threat "I should have seen that coming…"

Princess Bubblegum leaned back on her chair in frustration; problems and hardships kept popping out with every step they made, if only she could find the solution to at least one of them, just one…

A sigh flew out of her mouth as she stopped the spinning of her chair and stared at Doctor Princess' bookshelves, every subject printed on their backs caught her interest right away but there was one in particular, which could hold the answer to her prayers.

"Biology of the Species…" the candy princess read in a whisper "Dr. Princess, do you mind if I take that book for a while?"

"Huh? Why no, please take it!" the medic smiled.

To the last one's surprise Princess Bubblegum dashed to the shelf, snatched the book and threw it open over the table. Her finger rushed down the index while she read the contents quietly "Fly…Forest Cyclops…Forest Dwellers…Frog people…Fruit witches… Why isn't this index in alphabetical order like a regular one?!"

Doctor Princess shrugged.

"Fl…Floop pigs…Fire monkeys…Fire elementals, page 478!" her hands hasted through the pages in excitement, the answer to Flame Princess' condition could be found in that book and she couldn't wait to get it. "Fire elementals: The physical composition of a fire elemental has never been revealed to anyone who does not belong to their race, therefore little is known about…" Bubblegum's voice trailed off in disappointment.

"Is something wrong, Princess Bubblegum?" Dr. Princess asked with worry at the sight of her friend's discouraged face.

"Not something, someone…" the princess replied heading off to the other room "Thanks for your help, I… I should go to get some rest as well…"

"Sleep well, Princess."

She cursed under her breath when her foot got tangled in Marceline's sheets mess almost making her fall, Bubblegum kicked the vampire's blankets away and continued making her way through the dark room until she reached her cozy piece of floor. She laid her head to rest for the first time since that day's morning, her body rolled to the other side of her futon where she decided to stay. Jake was snoring not very far from her just like Susan and Billy. The Ice King was nowhere to be seen but that didn't trouble her at all.

Her eyes drifted to the opposite direction and rested on Finn and Flame Princess, Princess Bubblegum sighed bitterly wishing she could find the way to save the flaring girl who was sleeping comfortably in the human's arms.

"I don't know how, Flame P… but I promise you'll be fine… Everything will be fine…"

/

"Bobby…" a voice whispered in the darkness of the night "I did it, I got 'em!"

"You got what, boss?" the colorful gummy worm replied crawling out of his hiding.

"What?! Fool, I already told you! It was harder than I thought, but I managed to steal a good load of bombs!" the skinny jewel seller yelled as he dropped cautiously the contents of his bag on the ground.

"Noodle, what are you planning to do with all those bombs?!"

Noodle slapped his face impatiently "These bombs are the distraction!"

"Distraction?"

"Yeah! The Mayor would never let go of that precious ring, but in the tournament he'll have to leave it on the pedestal of winners!"

"But… boss, there will be lots of people and security there! We won't be able to-…!"

"That's what the distraction is for!" Noodle yelled pointing the windmill on top of the island "While everyone's focused on the battles we'll blow up the windmill! People will be scared and confused leaving us the chance to steal the ring!"

"Whoaa! Yeah Noodle, you're so smart…!"

"I know Bobby, I know…"

Blow up the island's only protection against the Lich's deadly mist? That isn't by any means a smart idea! Will these two fools bring chaos to the only earthly place that's still safe in Ooo? Missing the next chapter wouldn't be a smart idea either!

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

"Oh my Glob you guys! Here's LSP, Gossip Master reporting from Guru Island, the tournament's about to begin and I overheard this… Drama **Bomb** guys, ya hear me? A nuclear drama bomb's going to blast the next-…"

Gunter waves at the camera "Wenk!"

"Cinnamon Bun! What the lump are you doing?! I'm over here!"

CB aims the camera at her "Sorry LSP, hey I was wondering if you'd like to-…"

"Ow! You made forget all the info I was about to spill on the viewers! Nice job, piece of bun!"

"Sorry LSP… Thanks LSP…"

LSP slaps her face and glares at the screen "And what are y'all looking at?! Lump off already!"

**SCIK1012:**

Who would have let the Lumpy Space Princess intrude in this section of the story? This is _my _section, no characters allowed!

Sorry about that. Anyway, this is the longest chapter I have ever written! Hope it wasn't boring.

Oh yeah, Train's training sequence was highly influenced by my childhood's favorite anime: Dragon Ball!

As always I'd like to thank you for all your support, we're getting close to the end of the second part of the story! Two more chapters and we'll be on the third part, which means the last twenty chapters are coming in two weeks!

I don't know you guys, but I'm pretty excited about this! =D


	39. Wacky Encounters at the Tournament!

Tale 39: The wacky encounters of the Annual Tournament!

He strode through the market streets staring at his own shadow as it drifted over the food stalls beside him. There was a funny feeling in his stomach, his hand patted it softly and a hungry growl escaped from his guts.

"Bleh…" he groaned angrily, for there was no more money left in his pocket.

How could his life have taken such a twist? It was all that Lich guy's fault. He –just like everyone in Ooo– had lost everything he had. He noticed that his pace was being slowed down; with another bothered grunt, the rein on his hand was gripped tightly and pulled forward to hurry the nearly fainted dromedary strolling behind him.

"This is not good…" he whispered, "I need a more efficient mean of transportation, perhaps something with the ability to fly… yeah…"

There was no sign of regret on his sour face when he handed the reins of his saddened camel to a stranger in exchange for small bag of money, he could hear the animal's moans calling out for him but he just ignored them. That was the way things had to be. It didn't pain him anyway.

"Sell me food." He demanded showing the few coins he had gotten to a merchant "Something worthy of my greatness!"

The merchant arched an eyebrow as a taunting grin appeared on his face; he handed a stiff sausage to his customer and spat "Don't stare at me like that! That sausage may not be worth yer 'greatness' but's worth your money, pal!"

"Humph! Nincompoop!" our friend groaned as he left the mocking merchant behind.

He sat on a distant bench and began to gnaw the unworthy piece of meat in his hands, the chirping of birds flying out of the trees around him accompanied his silent sobs. Glob was not being fair with him, why did she have to make him like this? Pitiful and sour. He had easily scared away the horde of insane gals who used to call him hero.

"Excuse me." A gentle voice said.

He swallowed the rest of his "food" and turned his head around to search for the source of that voice, but there was no one close. Perhaps it was just one of those lonely voices inside his brain again.

"I'm up here, sir." The voice giggled, the sound of flapping wings was also coming from above. His eyes rolled upwards and met her tiny black ones; she was a blue jay with an orange beak. She landed on his shoulder and smiled "I need help to carry my purchases home, the bag is too big and heavy for my weak feet. You look hungry; if you help me then I will let you have breakfast with my babies and me. Do you like the idea?"

"Huh…" he shrugged.

"Wonderful! By the way, I'm Mrs. Yoder but you can call me Momma Bird!"

"Momma?" he repeated, his voice held more emotion this time.

"Yes dear, and what is your name?" Mrs. Yoder inquired sweetly.

"I am… the Earl of Lemongrab!"

/

Finn dashed through the fields in excitement, he was carrying the heavy crate of milk bottles but it didn't seem like such a burden now. His feet caressed the tall grass as if a gust of wind had just passed by. The boy jumped over a fence, dodged an old lady, slid under a passing cart and sprinted across a group of farmers who were getting ready to begin with their early morning labors.

"Watch out, Finn boy!" some of them shouted as the human avoided a possible collision with them.

"I'm sorry! Gotta deliver the milk before it gets sour!"

The hard-working men just nodded in resignation letting a small smile grace their faces; at least this was the last messy morning they would have to stand. The two weeks of training were about to end; the Mayor's favorite tournament was going to begin in just three hours.

The human boy laughed noticing how, despite all the hard work and suffering, the Train managed to help him become more resistant, fast and agile. Fifteen days ago he would have collapsed gasping for air once his feet had reached the windmill's hill, but today his body literary drifted over the sloping ground feeling completely fresh and cool.

The last empty bottle was usually waiting for him at the windmill's door, but for some reason, there was no bottle at the door. Finn scratched his head wondering what may have happened to the owner of said place. Was he still asleep? The boy touched the door and this one opened itself with a slow squeal.

"It's open…" Finn whispered and stepped inside "Hello? I brought the milk!"

There was no answer, so he shrugged and followed the way upstairs. If he wanted to earn his breakfast, Finn needed to deliver the milk and retrieve yesterday's bottle, that was the rule.

It was pretty dark inside…and humid, maybe Marceline would've had enjoyed being in there more than in Doctor Princess' place.

"I bet the ceiling is full of bats!" Finn giggled as he climbed the creaking spiral stairs.

A few rays of light entered through a small window on the top, the dust in the air made it possible for Finn to see the golden beams touching the wooden floor.

"Hello! I brought the milk!" he repeated hoping that someone might hear him now.

"Oh Glob!" a female voice replied, "How silly of me, I totally forgot about the milk! Come, come!"

The adventurer did as said, he followed the voice around the circular chamber where he had arrived and found a very particular scene happening right before his surprised eyes.

The Earl of Lemongrab was sitting over a picnic blanket sharing hotcakes and coffee with a blue jay bird and her three little babies. Her nest was built in a safe spot within the spinning windmill's gears.

"Oh Finn, you're the new milkman? That's some weird news!" she exclaimed as the boy approached her "I never thought you would give up adventuring, but if the rural life makes you happy-…"

"Whoa, wait! I'm still an adventurer; this is just-…well it's hard to explain…" Finn couldn't find the right words to explain Mrs. Yoder how the Train's training worked because not even him was able to understand it either. His eyes rolled toward Lemongrab "And what are you doing here?!"

The Earl bit a piece of his hotcake and stared back at him "Eating with Momma, F…"

"I'm not your employee anymore, call me Finn!" the human demanded in annoyance.

"I'll call you by any name I like to!" the lemon protested.

"Kids, kids! Please calm down!" Mrs. Yoder turned to glance at Finn "Boy, you look like you haven't had breakfast! Do you wanna join us?"

"Ummm…" Finn quickly changed Momma's empty milk bottle with the last one in his crate "Well, now that my work is finished, I guess there's no problem!"

"Great, great…" the bird said with delight as the boy sat next to Lemongrab "Do you want some orange juice?"

"Yes, please!"

"How about you Lemongrab?"

The Earl rubbed his chin and squinted "I can't tolerate any citric acids…"

Finn and Mrs. Yoder stared at him in astonishment "But you're a lemon!" the two cried in unison.

"That gives you an idea of how defective my physical composition is…"

/

Marceline got her sunhat on and walked outside to stretch her arms with a lazy yawn, the two worst weeks of her life were finally going to end, Finn had taken care of the milk delivery by himself, Princess Bubblegum was still sleeping 'cause she had burnt the midnight oil working on the new Decorpsinator serum since their first day on the island, and the others, well she didn't know. They were already gone when she woke up.

"They are probably having breakfast at the town…" the vampire whispered as her fist rubbed her sleepy eye.

"Hey Marceline!" Ice King's shrilling voice pierced her sensitive ears "Marceline…! Over here…!"

She instantly raised her head toward Doctor Princess' roof and squinted her eyes to cope with the bright sunlight blinding them. The loony wizard was sitting on top of it, holding some nails in his mouth and a hammer in his hand.

"Not now, old-timer… I'm gonna go get something red to suck…" Marceline replied with a tired voice.

"Oh just-…! I just need your help for a moment, pleeeeease!" the old king pleaded.

The Vampire Queen had no other option but to sigh and hover by his side "Fine… Tell me, what is it?"

His blue fingers pointed a hole on the roof and some planks on his lap "I had an accident last night; it involved penguins, a game of truth or dare, and me getting mad and firing at the ceiling…"

Marceline raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking… Some times I get too emotional…" the Ice King whispered calmly "Anyway, I'm having trouble with this hammer and these nails…I…don't seem to hit on the right spot…hehe…"

"So…you want me to nail that for you?"

"Nah, I'll hammer the planks while you hold the nail. That way, I won't miss!" he gave her a wide fanged smile "You'll help me, right?"

"It's not like you're gonna stop bothering me if I say no…" she landed next to him and crouched down to hold one of the nails firmly "Ready when you are!"

"Okay, Here goes!" the Ice King closed one eye and aimed carefully, the hammer bounced back forth while the tip of his tongue slid out as he focused on hitting the tiny nail "One…two…. Three!"

"YAWUW!" Marceline cried, the hammer had accidentally crushed her fingers "What the-?! Auw!"

The wizard threw his tool away and lunged over her in worry "Oh no, Marceline! It wasn't me- I mean! It wasn't my intention!"

Marceline gritted her fangs and hissed in pain.

"Oh no, I hurt ya!" the Ice King yelled holding his head "Please don't hate me! I-I know what to do! Ice! Ice solves everything!" he stretched his arms and aimed at her hurt hand "Don't move!"

Marceline widened her eyes anxiously "W-wait! Don't-…!"

"Freeze!" a blue glow engulfed her hand covering it with a solid layer of ice mass.

Her fist became too heavy to bear, making her arm plunge through the roof's hole and drag her down with it "Waaaah!" her body hit the floor followed by a rain of debris and a cloud of dust.

Marceline groaned weakly watching how the blurry image of the Ice King's face peeking through the hole appeared above her.

"Marceline?" he asked "I didn't kill you…right?"

"I wish you could, but sadly that's impossible…" the vampire coughed a little because of the dust "Just like the idea of you acting like a normal person!"

The old wizard flapped down with his beard and helped her stand up "Look, I'm sorry…!" he apologized "Why does this kind of things always happen to me?!"

The Vampire Queen sighed in resignation and gave a glance to her still frozen hand "Melt it…" she said while the Ice King kept complaining.

"…For some reason I always end up making an enormous mess out of everything…! And it's not fair, 'cause people have the right to be hap-…"

"Melt it."

"…It makes me wonder why I'm the only one who can't be happy, it's like jelly and peanut butter! Sometimes you want to mix them in your sandwich, but what happens when there's no bread in the fridge…?"

"Melt it."

"…And when I try to be nice, people get mad at me! Especially princesses, they don't like it when I stuff their cages with toys and flowers…and when I play music they just-…!"

"MELT IT! Dang it!" Marceline yelled impulsively with glowing red-blood eyes.

The Ice King covered his mouth to prevent more words from coming and took Marceline's frozen fist between his hands, he pressed the ice tightly and then relaxed letting it thaw. The vampire's features softened as the cold water ran gently through her aching fingers, she felt her own anger melt down when she realized that her pale hand was still being held by him.

"Ah…!" Marceline gasped snapping out of her strange trance.

The blue king looked uncertain and uncovered her hand "Oh Grod, your finger!" this time it was his turn to gasp, "It's all sprained and crooked! I did this, but don't get mad at me vampire! I'm involuntarily harmful to everyone, please have a little compassion!" He closed his eyes and turned his face away expecting her to slap him or something.

"What are you…?" she asked in confusion and then stared back at her hand still resting on his palm "Oh…no, old-timer. That wasn't you…" Marceline retrieved her hand and pressed it against her chest with her left one "I got this injury a long, long time ago… I must say that it complicated my life a little, even playing my bass with it it's kind of a pain, but thanks to it I developed some good skills with my left hand."

The Ice King tilted his head with curiosity "huh?"

"I can't remember exactly how I got it, but it has always been there… helping me remember that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. It's like a good old friend…"she smiled "Why the hell am I telling you all of this?"

He stepped back and shrugged "And then you say I'm the one who's forgetful and crazy…"

Marceline blinked and raised her head to glance at the sky; a gust flowed through the wrecked roof and threatened to blow her hat away. Her left hand stopped it from doing so and then she turned back to the Ice King, her black locks drifted softly over her face "It's getting kinda windy, right?"

His white eyes followed her sight as they both stared back at the sky; the air currents made his long hair and tunic dance along with her ebony mane "Yeah, windy…"

/

"This is ridiculous…" the legendary hero Billy muttered as he stared at a small pink kite in the shape of a butterfly.

"Nah it isn't, c'mon do it!" Jake stretched his body shaping it into the classic triangular kite form "It's for the girls, remember?"

Billy sighed and stared at the flaring princess holding a large dragon-shaped kite, it was red with multicolored glitters on its wings. In other words, it was a kite worthy of a legend like him. The problem was that Flame Princess wouldn't trade it for his butterfly kite…

Now, why was Billy forced to wield the girlish baby kite instead of the awesome and cool one? Because when Susan glimpsed a bunch of rainbow colored figures swirling in the wind, he –the noble and generous hero– offered himself to show her and Flame Princess how to fly a kite, oblivious of the fact that everyone in Guru Island loved windy days and had already bought all the nice kites to fly them along the shore.

When they arrived to the kite seller stall, he had only two kites left, the magnificent shiny dragon and the puny little butterfly. Flame Princess noticed this as soon as Billy did and the two raced each other to get the cool one first, guess who won said race…

"Don't be bad, you promised to teach us…!" the fire elemental protested stomping the ground childishly "Besides, it's not my fault that your feet aren't as fast as mine!"

"Yeah man, she beat you fair n' square…!" the magical dog added "Now guide us to the clouds!"

"Fine…" Billy replied, "First of all you have to make sure that your kite is facing the wind…"

Susan held her Jake kite in the same direction Billy was holding his butterfly one.

"Then you gotta unwind some string," the hero explained while the girls nodded in understanding "And when the wind blows you'll release your kite and pull the string back to launch it into the air!"

His kite soared over the ground for a few instants and then crashed against it, surprisingly this didn't happen to the hyooman or the fire elemental.

"Up! Hahaha, up!" Susan giggled in excitement watching how Jake drifted gracefully next to Flame P's dragon.

"What the…?" the old giant grunted in annoyance "I knew this kite would suck!"

"Maybe you just need to run a little!" the yellow dog kite shouted from the heights "It works sometimes!"

"You know what? I won't even try anymore!" Billy grunted crossing his arms.

"Holy midnight express!" a highly energetic voice, which they had grown to hate in the past two weeks, boomed in their ears "Why are y'all still lazing around?! Today is the big day!"

The Train dashed toward them and grabbed Flame Princess and Susan by the collar to drag them out of the seashore while they complained angrily.

"Whoa, look out below!" the magical dog kite cried when, thanks to the Train's intervention, the wind stopped blowing in his favor making him plunge toward the sea.

"I'm still missing your other companions, we gotta hurry and find them!" their iron-headed coach kept yelling, "The tournament starts in one hour!"

/

Princess Bubblegum dragged herself toward the lab's table where a tower of complex biology books were awaiting for her to read them. She had opened her lids an hour ago, her morning was as productive as any of these past mornings could be; she had taken a cold shower, she had brushed her teeth and she had read the island's latest news.

"_Great fighting tournament today…" _the princess yawned as she kept reading _"Unfortunately, the announcer/referee got tonsillitis and won't be able to participate in the tournament. A new one is required, lots of money for volunteers?"_ Bubblegum closed the newspaper and threw it away "The people of this island are mad crazy…" she groaned.

The pink princess glanced at the open books before her; each and everyone had something to do with the fire elementals' anatomy. She rubbed her temple in frustration, no matter how hard she tried, her research wouldn't help her find the answer she was looking for.

"Curse you fire elementals and your freaking pride…" Bubblegum moaned softly after sinking her face in the multiple pages and notes on the table.

"_Tell me about it…" _a creepy voice accompanied by the sound of artificial breathing whispered behind her.

Bonnibel turned around to meet a horrible face with big hollow eyes and a long twirled hose coming out from its nose, the pink princess shrieked in terror falling backwards from her chair.

"_Do not fear Princess…" _the stranger removed its face "It's a me! Doctor Princess!"

"Are you insane!?" Bubblegum yelped angrily "How can you even think about wearing that thing around a half-slept person inside a dark gloomy laboratory?!"

Dr. Princess crouched down and helped her get back on her feet "I apologize, although I also suggest that you must seek professional help because I'm starting to detect the symptoms of neurosis on you, Princess…"

The doctor carried the sugary princess to her office couch and laid her there "I know…" Bubblegum whispered feeling more relaxed now "I've always been a neurotic woman… I must undergo high levels of stress and anxiety all the time…"

"Do you take pills for that?" Dr. Princess asked shoving out a small notepad from her coat's pocket.

"I used to, but when I started getting often headaches I asked Peppermint Butler to toss them away…"

"…Butler…toss them…away…" the other girl repeated while she wrote that information down "And, since when have you suffered from-…?"

"Doctor…" Princess Bubblegum interrupted "I appreciate the surgery and everything but, now it's not the time for that…"

"Right, you were busy mourning over your scientific notes…" the medic pointed "May I inquire what's with your sudden interest on fire elementals?"

"I'm just trying to save someone…" Bubblegum replied weakly.

"What's wrong with the girl?"

"She's… Hey! I never said anything about Flame Princess!"

"Now you did…" Doctor Princess shrugged.

The pink-haired princess slammed her face against the table "Kill me now Glob, take me with you…" she muttered.

"I believe that I may have accidentally induced you to spill the beans about a confidential biz…" Dr. Princess said, "I apologize again…"

"Just keep it secret…" Bubblegum begged.

"Don't worry!" the doctor raised her right hand solemnly "The Hippocratic Oath I made when I graduated from the Medical College forces me to keep my mouth shut." She smiled when she noticed a small grin on Bubblegum's face "Perhaps I may be able to help you with that, although the info we can get from those books and my holo-archive are limited regarding to fire elementals."

"I wonder why those evil hotheads won't share anything about themselves with the rest of the world, I mean, the scientific community won't reveal their secrets, if that's what they fear. You just did that for me…"

"Well it's 95% pride…" Dr. Princess answered.

"I thought so…"

"And 5% protection, I guess…" the doctor continued, "The fire elementals wouldn't want their physical weaknesses turned against them, they already have enough with the water…" Dr. Princess closed her eyes and smiled in amusement "Or maybe they just like to keep everything for themselves!"

"_Everything for themselves…"_ Bubblegum whispered back "That sounds like the bad ol' Flame King, hehe… Say, what was the gas mask for?"

Doctor Princess blinked in confusion and then giggled, "Right, haha! I was going to tell you that the serum is finally ready! It has to be applied by syringe and I'm working on that already."

"That's some great news…" the pink princess whispered in relief.

"Not as great as these…!" a highly energetic voice, which she had grown to hate in the past two weeks, boomed in her ears "Guess what time is it?!"

"Ad…venture Time?" she asked knowing that her answer was incorrect.

"NO!" The Train broke through one of the lab's walls and snatched her arm "It's TOURNAMENT TIME!"

And with that Princess Bubblegum was dragged along with her other teammates, leaving all her fire elemental research behind and in unattended conditions.

/

Finn's eyes spun round and round while he followed the movement of the windmill's sails, the strong breeze was starting to make them spin pretty fast and he was getting worried about Mrs. Yoder's nest.

"Are you sure, you and your babies are save in here?"

"There's no safer place in the island!" the blue mother bird replied gleefully.

Finn was about to give her another worried comment when the sound of rushing steps climbing the wooden stairs caught his curiosity. He could hear someone panting and complaining about being too old and then the skinny weird-dressed Mayor appeared on the door's frame.

"Hey ya, Finn boy!" he paused for a moment to catch his breath again "The tournament's about to begin and everyone's crazily looking for you!"

"Gaaw!" the young hero exclaimed pulling out his hair "How could I forget about it?!" he dashed toward the door and waved at Mrs. Yoder and Lemongrab "Thanks for the food and see you later!"

"Well, it seems food is quite a distraction…" the Mayor opined crossing his arms "Good morning Mrs." He bowed courtesy and then faced Lemongrab "Gentleman…"

The old governor walked outside of the room thinking on how funny Lemongrab's face was, that was when it hit him. He rushed back to the Lemon and examined him closely.

"What's wrong with you?!" the Earl reclaimed obviously feeling bothered.

"Hmm…yeah, you've got a nice yelling voice…" the Mayor said while his index finger rubbed his chin thoughtfully "Are you obsessed with keeping high standards of order and make everyone obey the rules?"

"Why?" Lemongrab squinted his cat-like eyes "You're gonna give me something good?"

The Mayor removed his sunglasses and stamped them on the lemon's yellow face "Tada~!" he uncovered a dusty mirror which was resting on a wall and pushed the Earl toward it "Now you need a nice…" he snapped his fingers and magic cloud covered Lemongrab's body "…business suit! Tada~!"

Lemongrab stared at his reflection in silence for a moment and then grunted "What kind of dumb costume have you put on me?!"

"I…never knew that the Mayor was a magician…" Mrs. Yoder chirped in awe.

"It's not a costume, it's the classic announcer outfit!" the old governor declared enthusiastically "You're going to cover the this year's Annual Tournament!"

"Hmmm…!" the sour lemon was about to complain once more.

"And you will also earn a lot of money!" the Mayor whispered behind him.

"Hmmm…! I could certainly use a lot of money…" Lemongrab replied thoughtfully.

"It's done, then!" the governor exclaimed shaking hands with the Earl "Welcome aboard, Official Announcer!"

"Oh, that's so rad!" Mrs. Yoder flew toward Lemongrab and rested on his shoulder "You look handsome with that suit my dear, just let me clean your face…you have dirt everywhere…!"

"Momma!" the Earl moaned blushing a little.

/

The whole island gathered in the Mayor's arena to witness the most exciting match of the year, they raised their fists and cried in excitement when the two legendary wrestlers of the Shiny Isles appeared on the battle platform.

The Farm, a giant being that looked like a strange white mass clumped inside a barn made some steps forward "Hehe, looks like the Train won't be able to 'chug on' this year…!"

"Maybe not in a fair battle," the iron-headed wrestler replied defiantly "But we can leave this isle and finish our businesses in an 'anything goes' match somewhere else!"

"Quit it you two!" the new Tournament announcer ordered firmly "Bring your fighters to the stage, now!"

"Of course…" the Train muttered still while glaring at his rival, "Come on here, my team!"

"I think he's calling us…" Finn whispered while his eyes peeked out of the lockers room.

Jake stretched out and did the same "You think so, bro?"

They both stared at the Train making desperate signals with his hands, jumping and pointing the stage. The eight heroes-to-be walked out like would have done any normal circumstance, each one with its own characteristic stance.

Lemongrab called the crowd's attention toward them and everyone cheered and clapped wildly, especially Doctor Princess, the penguins and Beemo who were sitting close to the front row. "C'mon guys, kick their butts so you can get that Cosmic Weapon!"

"Now Farm guy, where's your team?" the lemon referee inquired.

The Farm laughed loudly, bent his knees and pooped his warriors… figuratively…

"Okay everyone, here are the rules!" Lemongrab stated holding a microphone in his hand "One: If a fighter falls out of bounds, he'll automatically lose the match! Two: The use of weapons or bionic limps is…Unacceptable! And three: the use of special abilities is…"

The Ice King gave a quickly glance to the Huntress Wizard, this one raised her thumb and winked.

"It's allowed!" the Mayor declared as he walked across the stage and everybody else gave him a curious 'Huh?' "I've been reflecting about this matter in my sleep, I can hear voices whispering at me in the emptiness of the night, they tell me how intense these battles would be if the warriors were allowed to use their powers…!"

"Is this guy serious?" Princess Bubblegum muttered "Not everyone in here has special powers, that would make the battles highly unfair…!"

"That's right, Princess…" the governor admitted, "Therefore I'm adding a new restriction!" he raised his hand and waved three fingers "You can only use special abilities three times per match, is that clear?"

"Clear enough!" Huntress Wizard assured with confidence "Just get this thing started!"

The Mayor nodded and instructed Lemongrab to proceed "Okay you guys, team Train, make a line! Now, now!" The eight heroes-to-be obeyed reluctantly "As you can see, I'm holding a box!"

"Seriously?" Marceline chuckled.

"A box…!" the lemon continued after glaring at her "Filled with the names of your rivals! You will grab a name from this box randomly and the name you get will show you who's your opponent!"

Princess Bubblegum slid her hand into the box and retrieved it quickly "Pfft… the Science cat will be my opponent? It could have been worse!" there was relief in her words, she was confident enough about her own scientific skills; a cat was not going to defeat her.

"Princess Bubblegum and the cat…" Lemongrab said writing the names on a whiteboard with a marker "Okay, next!"

Finn unfolded his small paper and smiled excitedly "Donny, hey I now this guy is a good wrestler!"

"C'mon, someone puny, someone puny and stupid…!" the Ice King whispered anxiously while his hand rummaged the papers inside the box "Aha! It says…" his expression went blank "Curse my luck…. The Huntress Wizard…"

Flame Princess pushed the blue wizard away and grabbed her paper "How do you pronounce this?" the fire girl asked handing the name to Lemongrab.

"Haha, yeah let me read it 'cause I'm a grown up and I know how to read better!" the lemon bragged "It's Xer…gerg…Xergi… You know what? Let's just copy it on the board, okay?!"

"Party Pat." Billy read.

"Snorlock, what the math is a Snorlock?" Marceline demanded.

"A slug…!" Finn and Jake replied remembering a very messy snail disaster.

"Okay, so the Hyooman gets the sissy wizard…" Lemongrab muttered and the dog gets…"

Jake clenched his fist crumpling the paper inside it tightly "The time for revenge has finally come…Tiffany…"

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever….!" The new announcer mumbled pushing everyone out of the stage hurriedly "Let's get started with this, I don't have the whole day…!"

Lemongrab walked back toward the center and pulled out his microphone "Let's finish with this pointless event once and for all! I call the Vampire Queen and the Slug to the platform!"

Marceline was already floating over her back hoping to get some extra sleep, but sadly her turn had arrived too fast. She growled something silently and hopped over the stage "At least we'll be able to continue with our journey after this…"

"Good Luck, Marcy!" Finn cried energetically "Don't let him beat you, you're the best around here!"

The vampire raised her thumb and grinned "Don't worry Finny, it's just a slug…!"

"Maybe…" the shell-less mollusk whispered as he crawled across the stage leaving a sticky trail of yellowish slime behind "But I'm going to defeat you and then, my girlfriend will be impressed of my skills and she will return to me!"

Jake frowned skeptically "Your girlfriend dumped you?! How could you let that happen?! We almost lost the whole Tree Fort to help you, and you just let her go?!"

"I dropped some salt on her by accident during our first date, okay?!" Snorlock sobbed bitterly "Now stop shouting so I can focus on my battle!"

"Okay!" Lemongrab yelled jumping between the two of them "One! Two! Three! Begin!"

* * *

**Battle 1: Marceline Abadeer **_**V.S.**_** Snorlock the Slug!**

"Let me see if I get this straight…" Marceline circled around Snorlock defensively "Your are planning to beat up a gal…so you can impress another gal?" she chuckled "How manly is that?"

"Shut it! You can't understand it so, stay out of my relationship issues!"

The large slug charged against her using his top speed but there was a small detail he never took in consideration, his top speed was 0.03 mph and by the time he approached Marceline close enough to touch her, she was sitting lazily on mid-air using her hat as a shadow to sleep.

"Hey, wake up!" Snorlock yelled impatiently "I need you to be conscious when I'm about to hit you!"

Marceline opened one eye and stared at him doubtfully "And how are you going to do that, if you don't even have arms?" the slug gulped nervously when she raised her hand and clenched her fist "One of these can be very useful, you know?"

"Are you going to hurt me with that?"

"The rules say I have to do it if I want to win this, nothing personal my bud…"

Finn was watching the 'battle' with disappointment; he was hoping Marceline could get a cool adversary to watch her fight a thrilling combat but…

"Don't get too over confident vampire!" he heard the Train warn from the other side of the area "You should never underestimate your foe, remember?!"

The human boy leaned forward and glimpsed a confident grin on the Farm's face "Marcy, listen to the Train!" he gasped "Don't let your guard down, punch him! Punch him!"

"Okay, fine!" the Vampire Queen replied and slammed the slug as hard as she could.

Snorlock was unable to dodge the attack but, to Marceline's surprise, the hit didn't cause the proper amount of damage she was expecting to inflict on him. Snorlock's body was soft and slimy; therefore, the impact's strength was partially absorbed thanks to that.

"Yewwack…" Marceline spat in disgust, her hand was covered in slime. "Are you sure you're girlfriend dumped you because of the salt? It wasn't because of this…this juice?" There was no response so the Vampire Queen stopped worrying about her dirty hand and focused on staring at the mollusk, surprisingly, Snorlock had disappeared "Huh? Where'd-...?!"

"Help me!" Snorlock screamed crawling in circles all over the stage "Her punches hurt like heck! Save me!"

Marceline turned back to her friends and stared at them skeptically "You don't want me to underestimate…that?" her thumb was pointing the pitiful slug that was still crying and "running" all over the platform.

Finn searched for an answer in Jake's confused face and shrugged "I'm…not sure…" he stammered.

"Just finish him!" Flame Princess encouraged her.

"All right!" the Vampire Queen jumped into the air using her second chance of applying a special ability in her combat strategy "I'm going to kick you out of the stage!"

"You what?!" Snorlock shrieked in panic when he noticed that Marceline was dashing toward him like a flying torpedo.

Everything happened in slow motion, Marceline cut through the air getting ready to smash the slug on his face with a flying kick while this one screamed in horror. Just when her red boot was about to be buried in Snorlock's slimy flesh, he did something quite unexpected. His head and his optical tentacles were pulled downward into his body causing Marceline to fly over them and miss her target.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" the vampire groaned realizing that she was now going to fall out of bounds.

"Marceline!" she heard Bubblegum's voice shout, "You still have one special ability chance left!"

"Right!" Marceline replied happily before her body disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Huh?!" the crowd gasped.

"Where's Marceline?" Jake inquired "Did she just turn invisible so we can't see her standing out of the stage?"

"Vampire, even if we can't see you…!" Lemongrab ran toward the edge where Marceline had just vanished "You still are out of bounds and therefore, out of the game!"

"I'm not out of bounds and I'm not invisible, you big fool!" Marceline's voice complained angrily "Can't you see me? I'm right over here! Or are you blind, like a bat? Hehe…"

Lemongrab crouched down and stared at the platform's edge carefully discovering a pair of tiny claws clinging onto it, he leaned down and found a small vampire bat hanging up-side-down with a wide sharp smile.

"Hello there, Lemonade…!" the bat greeted climbing back to the stage and then shifted back into her humanoid form "Long time no see!"

"Humph! Stop fooling around and get back to your fight!" The announcer grunted as he abandoned the stage. "This battle hasn't finished yet!"

Snorlock's head rose back slowly only to meet a pair of crimson furious eyes glaring at him "Ugh…hi? … Welcome back?"

"You idiot!" Marceline yelled curling her hands into tight fists "How dare you fool me like that?! I'm gonna make you pay for that!" she adopted a menacing stance to scare him to death.

"Ugh…WAAH! Save me!" the slug screamed as he restarted his desperate running away act once again.

The Vampire Queen crouched down stretching her body forward like a running athlete getting ready to start a race, "Don't even dream about me falling for that stupid trick again!" she pushed herself up and dashed against him.

Suddenly, Snorlock's terrified face turned into a confident one "You're gonna run?" he chuckled viciously "Big mistake!"

"What the heck are you talking abou-…?! Whoa!" Marceline's words trailed off, her feet had lost their friction over the platform's floor making her slip without control across the stage.

It was then when the Vampire Queen realized how wrong she was about her brainless foe, each time he crawled like a whining baby all over the stage was a distraction! He had covered the whole platform with his slippery slime and now she was skating clumsily toward the edge.

Marceline waved her arms frantically in desperate attempt to stop herself from gliding out of bounds, but it only made her lose her balance "Whoa…whoa…hey!" she gasped trying to pull herself away from the edge but… her feet slipped anyway. Her face hit the ground with a thud.

"Marceline is out of bounds!" Lemongrab announced pointing her with his index finger "Snorlock, wins!"

"WHAT?!" the gang shrieked in astonishment, Marceline had failed.

Everyone ran to her side and helped the slime-covered vampire get back on her feet "Are you okay, Marceline?" Finn asked in concern.

"My body is okay, weenie… it's my demonic pride what's hurting me the most…" she replied leaning on Jake's stretched shoulder.

"Don't worry, at least you were way cooler than that guy during the battle…" Flame Princess smiled "Deceiving and acting like a coward was lame!"

"Yeah!" Finn added, "You may have lost, but you did it keeping your reputation untouched!"

"Thanks guys…" the Vampire Queen grinned gratefully "Please kick those freaks' butts for me, okay?"

"Word!" the human boy assured confidently.

Lemongrab made his way back to the center of the platform "The next battle's about to begin! Party-whatever and Billy, come forward!"

* * *

**Battle 2: Billy the Hero **_**V.S.**_** Party Pat! **

The tall bear closed his eyes and smiled warmly "I won't fight."

"WHAT?!" Everyone in the arena yelped in surprise.

Billy crossed his arms and tilted his head in curiosity "Why?"

"I joined the Farm's troop 'cause I heard they were going to take part of the wildest and craziest party of the year…" Party Pat swung his long arms in a dancing motion and hummed a carnival song "It was until I witnessed the first match that I realized that they were talking about fighting and not dancing…"

The crowd, Lemongrab, the eight heroes-to-be, their opponents, the Mayor and even the Farm fell over their backs and fainted due to his stupidity.

Lemongrab quickly got up and squinted in demand "So, you're quitting?!"

Party Part gave him a calmed smile and shrugged "I guess so, dude."

"All right, Billy the Hero wins by default!" the lemon announced triggering an excited clamor from the crowd.

"Ugh…" the legendary hero faced the enthusiastic crowd and sweat-dropped "Yay?" he celebrated awkwardly his first non-epic victory.

"Moving on!" the Earl announced "Although that was the lamest thing ever, I call the next contestants to the platform; Jake and Tiffa-…wait is that a boy or a girl?"

* * *

**Battle 3: Jake the Dog **_**V.S.**_** Tiffany!**

Jake walked toward the platform, he wasn't afraid of Tiffany, why should he? That little creep was nothing more than a boy with an obsessive desire for his friendship, that was definitively something easy to handle for a magical dog.

"Sup Jake?" his voice rang in his sensitive dog ears.

"Nothing!" the golden bulldog growled pointing the blonde long-haired boy before him, his very appearance was annoying. Jake couldn't stand watching his pink shirt, those horrible blue pants, and that poor mustache plastered on his bluish face "I'm here to beat you, Tiffany!"

"It's sad to hear that Jake, it really is…" the blue-skinned boy whispered lowering his head "To think that… I only joined the Farm to find you…"

"What?" Jake looked confused but touched "Really?"

"No! Jake! It's a trick!" Finn's voice alerted him "Tiffany is a freak, remember?!"

"Finn's right, Jake…" Tiffany smirked "You should always listen to your friends and I… I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND JAKE!"

"Not even in your dreams!" the golden dog stated shaping his hand into a small Finn figure "This little guy here is my best friend!"

"I'm only saying it once…" the weird boy hissed "Be my friend Jake…or…"

"Or what?!"

"Or…" Tiffany shoved his hand into his pants and pulled out a viola "OR THIS! Can you recognize it, Jake? It's your precious viola! Hahaha!"

"Noo!" Jake's face was instantly filled with despair "Drop that instrument, NOW!"

"Make me…" Tiffany pulled out the viola's bow from his pants and raised both items in the air "You must become my friend if you want it back!"

"Seriously dude," Jake stuck out his tongue in disgust "For how long have you been carrying my viola in your pants?"

"What's it to you?! Are you gonna be my friend or not?!" the spoiled kid questioned impatiently.

The dog rubbed his chin for a while "Hmm… NO!"

"Very well, then prepare to face the consequences of your foolish decision!"

Tiffany placed the bow over the instrument's strings and began to play random notes in the worst out of tune way possible. The shrilling sound pierced Jake's ears making him fall on his knees moaning and shivering in pain.

"No! Please! Stop it! I can't stand the sound of random notes!"

"Okay, then let me play a meaningful song for you! Hahaha!"

The haphazard notes were quickly changed into a melodic tune, the soft harmony of the beautiful song helped Jake relax for a brief interval of time, until suddenly, Tiffany decided to continue with his musical torture and started to break the notes again.

"Pleaseee! You're ruining the song I played for Lady on our first date! Stop it jerk!" the poor dog cried embracing himself in fetal position.

"Reaaally?" Tiffany replied viciously "Maybe if I sing the lyrics, I'll make it sound better…! Now, how does this song go? Oh yeah… _'Every night in my dreeeams…!'"_

"Nooo…!" Jake's eardrums were about to explode.

"_I see youuuu, I feeeel yah…"_

He had to stop it; Jake couldn't let Tiffany ruin such a meaningful song. The sound of the shredded music being played by his own viola was driving him insane, his muscles began to twitch and expand, his eyes undulated in black and white patterns, he could feel the power of his rage running wild.

"_That is how I know youuuu go-…" _Tiffany stopped playing, his fingers were shivering… a large shadow was looming over him "J-Jake?" he stammered while his eyes observed a furious dog monster panting over him "We-we are best buds, right?"

"I'm not Jake!" the monster roared spitting his sticky saliva on Tiffany's face "I am Gut Grinder! Roooaar!" he raised his fist over his head "You have desecrated the beauty of my viola's music! YOU MUST PAY!"

Tiffany shrieked in horror and threw the viola away before he could start running away, sadly for him Jake was faster and his fist fell upon him stamping his body on the platform. A hole with various fissures was left under the spoiled kid's body, the arena's white platform had been destroyed.

Lemongrab rushed toward the hole and jumped inside it to start the count down "Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…!" Tiffany was still unconscious "Three…two…one! Tiffany is unable to continue, Jake wins the fight!"

The crowd cheered enthusiastically just like Finn and the others "Nice trick, bro!" the human boy shouted "You can turn back to normal now! You won the match!"

"ROOAAAR!" the gigantic Jake roared on the boy's face furiously.

"What the?! JAKE!"

Jake was still out of his mind, he kept roaring and pounding his chest like a wild gorilla, soon his fists were crushing everything on his way to terrorize the stunned multitude before him.

"_Monster!"_ the crowd yelled fleeing from their seats _"Someone please cut his tail!"_

"Quick!" Billy instructed as he hopped over the stage "Let's take control of the situation!"

Finn gritted his teeth bitterly "O-okay!"

"Jake!" a robotic voice called. The young hero turned his head toward its source in fear. Beemo was waddling over the platform with a determinate look on his screen; he kept shouting the dog's name until Jake locked his spinning eyes on him. "Jake, there's someone who wants to talk with you!"

The small console pressed the red button on his chest and his screen was filled with static.

"Huh?" the wild Jake grunted crouching down to see the image better.

Lady Rainicorn appeared in the screen.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

I don't really know what to say, I can only hope you enjoyed this chapter and wait to see what you think of it.

I threw hints all over this chapter about the things that will be happening in the next one and the others, just in case you want to check it again.

I really want to thank you for your all support, that's what helps me to keep going! :)

As always, feel free to share any complaint, suggestion or opinion you may have.

See ya next week on this arc's final chapter!

**NOTE: END OF THIS ARC NOT THE FIC, WE STILL HAVE 20 MORE CHAPTERS AHEAD 8D**


	40. Tempted by the Crimson Devil!

Tale 40: Tempted by the Crimson Devil!

"나쁜 제이크!"Lady's voice rang in his ears and pierced his brain "원숭이처럼 행동하지 말고 진정해, 당신은 우리의 강아지에 발생하는 끔찍한 인상을 볼 수없는 이유는 무엇입니까?"

The furry beast leaned forward, there was awe reflected in his now tranquil eyes. His index finger reached for his lower lip as he repeated "Puppies…?"

"당신도, 알지?" the Rainicorn asked gently "당신과 내가 곧 부모가 될거야, 그리고 우리 애들은 아빠를 위해 미친 필요하지 않습니다 ..."

"Dad… I remember…" The size of his body was quickly reduced, his face regained Jake's usual glee and charisma "Lady?"

"Jake?" his girlfriend replied sweetly.

"That guy was messing with our song…" a normalized Jake sighed with regret "And I just went crazy to shut him up!"

Lady Rainicorn shook her head "오 바보, 누구도 우리의 노래를 망치는하지 않습니다 ... 그것은 영구적으로 우리의 마음에 기록되어 있습니다 ..."

The golden dog's tail started to wag softly, he reduced his size even more to acquire Beemo's height and embraced the screen "I love you, babe…"

"나도 내 짧은 두뇌 강아지를 사랑!"

Jake's perception of time faded as he continued to rub his face against Beemo's screen. The image of Lady Rainicorn had turned into static some minutes after she said good-bye, but the lover-dog was way too immersed in their intimate moment to listen.

"Jake." The video game muttered "Can you stop being all kissy-kissy-goo-goo on me? It's annoying…"

This one opened his eyes in realization and pushed Beemo away to regain a casual stance "Ahem, sure." He cleared his throat "Of course Beemo, my friend…umm…this is getting awkward."

The small robot rolled his eyes and sighed "Let's just walk out of the platform, okay?"

As the two friends made their way back toward the others and the crowd returned to their seats, a hooded man sneaked in the arena searching for an enclosed spot near the Mayor and the Tournament's prize. He pulled out a pair of binoculars and observed the shining ring on top of the winner's pedestal; an evil grin graced his face. The man then searched for a walkie-talkie in his pocket and spoke through it.

"Bobby… Noodle here, do you copy me?"

"How can I copy you if I can't see what you're doing?"

That response earned a face palm "That's not what-! … Never mind… Have you finished placing the bombs?"

"Ugh… kinda…" the gummy worm gulped "It's too windy and the heights make me nervous…"

"Listen, I don't care how you'll do it but I want those bombs ready before the last battle or else…!"

"Sure boss, I just have one question?"

"What is it Bobby?"

"What do you mean by 'or else'?"

Noodle rubbed his temple tiredly "It's just a threat Bobby… don't worry…"

"Sure boss."

* * *

**Battle 4: Princess Bubblegum _V.S._ The Science Cat!**

Lemongrab had instructed the Princess and the cat to come forward, Finn mentioned something about that guy not coming at 4:00pm once and Jake laughed. Bubblegum had hopped in the platform and stared at her opponent wondering if an orange cat with glasses, a mustache and a lab coat could be considered as a scientist. She noticed some potions and bottled chemicals in his pockets, which led her brain to formulate an intriguing question.

"Is science considered a special ability?" she asked raising her hand "'Cause, as far as I know, science is the system of acquiring knowledge through observation and experimentation in order to describe and explain natural phenomena. Science can also be considered as the accumulation of knowledge that one has obtained through said system."

The Earl stuck one finger into his ear and twisted it slightly to clear its interior hoping to understand her words better "Ugh… wha?"

"What I'm trying to say is; science is knowledge and everyone in here has used their knowledge on fighting and strategy to prevail in battle, therefore, if I make use of my abilities as a scientist they won't be penalized because everyone here is on their right to use their brains on this stage…right?"

Lemongrab sent a desperate glance to the Mayor, this one got up from his seat and nodded "Princess Bubblegum has a point, science can't be considered as a special ability since it is used by everyone and everything around us!"

Princess Bubblegum smiled and waved at the governor "That's what I needed to hear, thanks Mayor!" The old man raised his thumb "Very well kitty, let's not prolong this encounter any longer, shall we? Hit me with your best shot!"

"Meow…! How dare you underestimate me!" the orange-furred feline growled "I don't deserved to be treated like this, I'm a scientist!"

"I will decide that!" the princess snickered.

"Cut his head Peebles!" Finn shouted enthusiastically "I haven't seen that in a while! Hehe!"

The Science cat flinched and waved his fists angrily "Shut it kiddo, can't you see it's too early for that! My head won't grow back until 5:00 pm and I need it to munch my lunch!"

"Hehe…! Munch Lunch…!" the human boy giggled "It fits you, Munch Lunch the Cat! Ain't that a good name?" he rested his head on his crossed arms "I'm a genius!"

"No you aren't! Reow..!" the cat ran to the edge and glared at Finn "And don't call me like that again! It's an annoying name!"

Finn winked at Flame Princess and they both grinned at him playfully _"Munch Lunch Munch Lunch Munch Lunch Munch Lunch Munch Lunch…!"_ the two teens replicated as fast as they could over and over again.

"Meow! NO!" Science Cat groaned covering his ears "Quit it you two! Disrespectful children!" he stomped the floor and hissed at the couple frantically until he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"You know I can just push you now and win this, right?" Bubblegum's voice whispered.

"Naouw!" the feline jumped over her performing a back flip and landed on his four extremities safely away from the platforms' edge "It won't be that easy! For I, the Great Munch Lunc-… I mean! Science Cat, have developed a new powerful formula!" His claws reached out for a pink test tube in his pocket "Here's a free sample, Princess!" the cat exclaimed breaking the glass on her body.

The chemicals inside it reacted instantly engulfing Princess Bubblegum with a thick explosion of pinkish smoke, her silhouette vanished from sight and when the haze was finally dispersed the sweet monarch was nowhere to be seen.

"Where the heck did Bonnie go?!" the Vampire Questioned as her senses sharpened to find her.

"T-There…" Susan Strong stammered pointing the stage's floor; a look of astonishment was plastered on her face.

A pink rat was lying there, struggling to snap out of whatever trance she had fallen in during her transformation. Her friends stared at her with eyes wide as plates; Bubblegum didn't seem to be aware of her body change until she tried to speak.

"What…what on earth happened?" she mumbled weakly.

Everyone else's P.O.V.

"Squeak…squeak squeak squeak?"

Upon listening to her own squeaky voice the now rat princess covered her mouth in surprise noticing how small and furry her new hands were. Princess Bubblegum's panic didn't last longer than three seconds, her mousy nose sniffed the chemicals that had turned her into a simple rodent and she instantly sent a death glare to her opponent.

"Hehehe…" Science Cat sneered waving his index finger from side to side "If I were you I'd try not to…" the orange feline crouched baring his claws and fangs "Bother the CAT! Meow!"

"Squeak!" Bubblegum screeched making use of her new tiny paws to avoid the fierce beast, which had jumped over her.

"Don't worry PB!" Jake shouted when the poor rodent ran in front of them "His potions don't last for long!"

"Squeak?"

"Hehe…" the cat chuckled "Not this time doggy, I have reinvented my formula! It's effect will last long enough for me to munch…" he stepped on Bubblegum's tail and leaned in evilly "This little treat!"

"Whoa, hey! Bonnie's going to be munched by a filthy cat isn't that against the ruuu-…" a brilliant idea struck Marceline's brain "Bon appetite, _**Munch Lunch!**" _the vampire gave her teammates the signal of doing the same.

"Ugh… You'd better wash your hands first, _**Munch Lunch!**"_ the golden bulldog teased.

"Yeah, we don't want you to get sick, _**Munch Lunch!**" _ Finn replied with a smirk.

Princess Bubblegum was about to be dropped into the cat's maw, when those words flew into his ears. Science Cat squeezed Bubblegum in his claws to prevent her from escaping and hissed at the group before him."Didn't I told you not call me like that!?" his fur frizzed in desperation "Why can't I be treated with respect like any normal scientist?! Seriously, I came here looking renown, why does this always happen to me?! My life is like a fart!"

His rambling lasted for about twenty more minutes, giving Bubblegum the chance to bite his claw and jump free, into the platform while her body changed back to normal. "Hey Munch Lunch!" the princess called taping his shoulder once more, the cat turned around, faced her, flinched in astonishment, gave a quick glance to his empty claw and faced her again in fear "Combining Sufargeon, Validium, Poptasium and Nargon for a shape shifter formula? Seriously?"

She grabbed him by the collar and raised his body to the level of her eyes "I would have used Zanodium to potentiate the bonds in the compounds of your formula, changing them from purely electrostatic ionic bonds to covalent bonds, which would have made its transformation effect everlasting!" her fist was now facing the cat's nose "Did you get anything of that?"

"Meouw…" Science Cat cried like a kitty.

Princess Bubblegum shook her head in disappointment "That's a shame…" she buried her fist into his face, sending him out of the platform and making him crash against the ground.

"The cat is out of bounds! Bubblegum wins!" the Earl announced as the sugary gal jumped off the platform to join her friends.

"Za-Zanodium…? Was it that simple…?" the defeated cat reflected still lying on the ground "Thanks Princess Bubblegum…"

"You gotta admit it, my idea saved you." Marceline chuckled after punching the princess' arm softly.

"But I came up with the name!" Finn protested as he rushed to their side "The credit of this victory goes to me!"

"Guys, guys…" Bubblegum replied calmly "We're a team, credit goes for everyone!"

"Humph…idealist…" the Vampire Queen muttered crossing her arms.

The Train stared at his team from the other side of the arena and smiled proudly noticing an altered look on the Farm's face.

"Seems we're kicking your butts, huh?"

The Farm rolled his eyes and glanced back at him with an indignant face "This ain't over yet, pal. I still have an ace up my sleeve, I'm sure my luck's about-…"

His words trailed off when he noticed an insistent tap on foot, the gigantic housey crouched down to meet a pleading pear-shaped face with a rainbow colored headband around his long black hair.

"What is it, Abracadaniel?" the Farm asked dully, apparently he wasn't exactly proud of this "warrior".

"L-let me go next! Please, please, pretty please!" the weird wizard begged energetically "Give me the chance to show these peeps how strong I have become…!"

The Train noticed a reluctant look on his rival's face and grinned "Yeah, why don't you give him a chance…?"

"This guy isn't exactly one of my students…" the barn warrior murmured gritting his teeth "I ran out of time and I needed eight warriors to enter in the tournament…"

The iron-headed wrestler faked astonishment "So you picked up this one randomly?! He's not even trained?!"

"Shhh…!" the Farm whispered silently "I just told him to believe in himself…that's a wise advice, right?"

Train grinned in satisfaction "If were you, I wouldn't even mind in watching…" he crossed his muscled arms "This battle is mine!"

"Yeah…I know…"

* * *

**Battle 5: Susan Strong _V.S._ Abracadaniel the Colorful Wizard!**

Susan heard the cheers and the exited shouts from the crowd and her friends, but she wasn't sure what was so exciting about standing on an arena and do the same things they had been doing throughout the past two weeks. But it was fine, she thought, all she had to do was to push some guy out of the ring so the rest of her friends could take their turns and play this strange fighting game.

Her stomach growled, it has been hours since she ate her breakfast, the hyooman frowned and scratched her head impatiently while she wondered why was her opponent taking so long to appear before her.

After three minutes of waiting, a soft grunt coming out from the other side of the platform warned her about her challenger's arrival. Strong opened her eyes in awe, that guy was surely small and thin; the hyooman raised her fist and stared at it for a while.

_"If Susan hits him too hard, poor guy will break in half…" _

She listened closely to Abracadaniel's rambling about him being a man and that fighting a woman wasn't fair 'cause he became so manly after his arduous experience in the Great Wizard Battle, and punching a girl would be an offence to his 'grown-up manly bows'.

Susan stopped listening after a bored yawn left her lips and stared at Lemongrab, who was more interested in his wristwatch than in the world around him, she made a step forward and asked.

"Hey, we fight now?"

Abracadaniel gasped in annoyance and turned his face away "I guess, there's nothing I can do about this." He crossed his arms "Therefore I've decided to be a gentleman and let you throw the first blow!"

"Huh?" the hyooman tilted her head.

The strange-looking wizard pointed his cheek and grinned confidently "Go on, hit me right in the face."

"Uh…you sure?" Susan hesitated again.

"Yep, give me your worst, lady!"

"Okay." The blonde woman shrugged cracking her knuckles "Get ready"

"Humph, I was born rea…"

Abracadaniel was unable to finish the sentence, before he even knew it; Susan Strong had smashed him out of the platform. With a quick movement the wizard pulled out his stick-wand and cast a spell on himself to avoid hitting the ground.

"Magical wings!"

A pair of bright butterfly wings popped out on his back helping him to land into the platform safely, however, they vanished just when his feet touched the floor. Abracadaniel reached immediately for his hurt cheek and began to cry frantically trying his best to make it as secret as possible.

"Hey…" Susan tapped his shoulder gently "You okay?"

"Auuww! I-I mean…" he quickly raised his chest to look braver "Yes, thank you very much!"

"Great! You hit now!" the hyooman smiled pointing her cheek.

"What?"

"Your turn now!"

Abracadaniel frowned "It's not right for a man to hurt a woman when she is defenseless!"

Susan blinked "You want Susan to avoid the blow?"

"No! I don't want that either!" the wizard yelled in exasperation "That's not how this was supposed to happen!"

"You look bad…" the cat-hatted girl whispered in concern "You worry too much about battle…"

"Waah! Of course I worry!" Abracadaniel cried pulling his hair "I don't know how to attack you without looking like a chauvinist! This isn't fair! I wish this would end now!"

"That's okay," Susan smiled petting his head "Susan knows how to make it all better!~"

Without advice, the hyooman grabbed him with her both hands and lifted his body over her head. Abracadaniel started to shout and kick in fear and confusion, not knowing how to free himself from her grasp, while Susan carried him merrily towards the edge and dropped him out.

"There…" Susan said cleaning her hands in sign of having done a good job. "No more worries now, battle's over!"

"W-what?" the wizard gasped in amazement "It-it's true…! I don't feel compromised with myself anymore…" he jumped in one feet and spun like a ballerina using his wand to throw colorful glitters around "I'm free! Free like the wind…!"

"The cat gal made it all better!" Lemongrab announced raising her arm "She has won the battle!"

"Susan gets lunch now?" the winner asked enthusiastically.

"I'm not in charge of food things!" the lemon grunted.

* * *

**Battle 6: Flame Princess _V.S._ Xergiock the former Goblin King!**

"You learned the what?" the fiery princess asked in an attempt to understand her opponent's words.

The ex-goblin king had changed a lot since the last time Finn and Jake fought against him during the Earclops' attack, his face had acquired wise-looking features and he was now wearing a black headband and a blue robe with a blackish belt.

"I said…" the strong looking goblin repeated "I do not fear your fire because I have mastered the ancient art of Fridjitzu…"

Flame Princess' mind was filled with a wave of confusion once again, that green weirdo seemed to speak in another language and that was incredibly annoying for her. She was about to fire blast him with all her might when a sudden choir of surprised gasps came from amongst her friends. Those were Finn and Jake's voices.

"Uh…Time out!" the golden bulldog exclaimed shaping his hand into a "T"

"Thirty seconds!" Lemongrab instructed with severity.

"What's up, guys?" the young princess inquired rather angrily "I was about to roast that freak!"

"Uh…hehe, I believe you're quite experienced on barbequing goblins, but-…" Jake commented without thinking.

Finn quickly noticed the danger coming out of that reckless pun and rushed to cover his brother's mouth before the blazing girl could get any angrier "W-what Jake was about to say is that…you can't trust this guy to be as weak as other goblins…and I'm not talking about the same goblins you almost killed that night at the Goblin Kingdo-mmm…"

Now it was Jake's turn to stretch his arms covering Finn's face and in consequence for being in such a rush, warp their both bodies together and stumble into the ground.

"Fifteen seconds!" the Earl shouted.

"Hurry up!" Flame Princess exclaimed in desperation.

The human boy managed to untangle himself out of his brother's grip and grabbed her shoulders "Whatever you do, don't underestimate that freak! He has learned Fridjitzu! That means he can use ice tactics to attack you, so don't waste your three shots and-…!"

"Five seconds!"

"…And…" his brain thought as quick as possible "And give me that!"

Finn snatched the Pyrali's sapphire off the fiery girl's neck and pushed her back into the platform, she quickly whipped back to retrieve it in annoyance, but the boy rolled away skillfully.

"What the heck, Finn?! Give it back!" Flame Princess demanded "I wouldn't even trust that sapphire to you!" she was about to step out when Lemongrab screeched.

"Time's up! If you step out now, you're out!"

"Finn!"

"I'm sorry Flame P, but I'm doing this for your own good!" the young hero tried to calm her down a bit by sending her a confident smile as he wrapped the sapphire's strap around his hand "Don't worry I'll watch over it with my own life, just believe me when I say that you'll thank me for this later!"

Flame Princess faced her opponent again; Xergiock was sitting in a meditating position humming imperceptible flaming girl glanced back at Finn and sighed in defeat "Well, if you say so… then I'll trust your words."

"Rhombus, Flame P!" Finn yelled in happiness.

"Hey, Flame Princess!" Princess Bubblegum's voice startled Finn a little, he hadn't noticed that she was standing next to him "Careful, okay?"

"Careful with what?" Flame P questioned impatiently.

"With your temper…" Bubblegum's face had a hint of uneasiness "I know you handled the training pretty well on the first day, but you had trouble controlling yourself throughout the rest of the week… Remember the warehouse incident?"

"Uh…" the other princess turned her face away "Sort of…"

"And when you almost burnt down the whole Training Dojo?"

"I-it wasn't my fault, okay?!" Flame Princess lowered her gaze and muttered "Jake stepped on my foot…"

"Hey! I already said I'm sorry!" the magical dog replied anxiously.

"Whatever," Princess Bubblegum interjected "Just try not to lose it in battle, okay? Your anger can be kinda…umm…_unhealthy_ for you and everybody else…"

Flame Princess turned back to Xergiock and shrugged "I'll see what I can do…"

Finn and Jake couldn't help but to remark secretly the overanxious look on Bubblegum after listening to the flaring girl's not-so-trustable answer, the human boy stared at his brother searching for an explanation but the magical dog just raised his shoulders with uncertainty. The two of them then followed the sugary princess with their eyes as she returned the other's side and whispered suspiciously in Marceline's ear.

"I wonder what's going on between them…" Finn murmured.

"Nah… It's probably lady gossiping, we shouldn't stick our noses on ladies' biz…" Jake suggested in a more relaxed tone "Could be dangerous!"

"Hey!" Flame Princess's sudden shriek drove their attentions back to the battle stage "Don't just sit there, c'mon get up and face me!"

The meditating goblin sighed shifting his hand's into different positions at an average speed rate "So much impatience for someone so young…" his eyes remained closed "A little breathing exercise could help you out with that volatile personality of yours…"

"Huh? Breathing…?"

Xergiock stared back at her with half open eyes "Breathing is the essence of the being, it helps you enter in contact with the Universe's energy and create a balance between the body and the mind…the conscious and the unconscious… It provides health and well being…"

"Whoa, look who spent the last two years studying the 'Ninjas of Ice Manual'!" the Ice King exclaimed clearly impressed by the goblin's words "Hey dude, I have the first edition, what's yours?"

"Are you telling me how to breathe?!" Flame Princess yelled in annoyance "I think I know how to do that since birth, thank you! And stop implying that my personality is unhealthy, I have enough with Princess Bubblegum bothering me all the time with that!"

The goblin remained peaceful and unresponsive, which just helped to increase Flame Princess desperation and annoyance toward him. A fireball was conjured on her hand despite Finn and Bubblegum's warning about keeping her temper down.

Flame P glanced at him once again, there was no sign of fear in his face. She gritted her teeth in annoyance growling something about him being an ignorant fool and blasted her attack with a great amount of strength.

Meanwhile, Xergiock's hands continued shifting positions like if nothing was about to happen. Just when the fire flickered on his face, the ex-tyrannical king popped his eyes open and exclaimed "Water style, Snowblind jutsu!"

A burst of snow appeared from nowhere covering his body and vanished in the blink of an eye leading the fireball to miss its target and explode against a wall.

The crowd gasped in awe just like the fiery princess, who's rage went down a little because of her own astonishment.

"Ninja quick attack!" Xergiock's voice ringed in her ears; apparently that special ability had let him shift from one spot to another in a matter of seconds.

Unfortunately Flame Princess didn't see that coming and was unable to duck the attack, in an instant the goblin's fist had struck her face. The hit made her turn her face away, the pain and the shame for being fooled so easily worsened her mood.

"Auww! Ow! My hand, my hand is on fire!" The goblin screeched losing all his ninja mystic influence. He waved his hand up and down until the flames were extinguished and pointed the princess "Never mind, you have wasted two shots now!"

"You're wrong dude!" Finn shouted with a wide victory grin "Flame Princess' body burns naturally so it doesn't count as a special ability!" he finished sticking his tongue out at him.

"So that was why…" the flaring princess glanced back at the boy in excitement "Finn you… you're a genius!"

"Hehe, not really…" the human blushed scratching the back of his head "Just got the idea from an outer dimensional entity or something…I think…"

Flame Princess' fire glowed brightly in confidence; she was feeling ready to incinerate that pesky goblin once and for all. Xergiock felt how his features were starting to become tense and sighed.

"I must not lose my inner peace…" he breathed in and out slowly "Serenity lets the good ideas flow, stress imprisons them in the back of the mind…" his hands restarted the constant position shifting "If I can't connect a direct hit… I must use the environment to do it indirectly for me…"

"Magic tricks again?!" Flame Princess shouted "This time you won't take me by surprise!"

"You think so?" Xergiock whispered "Let's see how you react to this… Force of Blizzard jutsu!"

His green hands launched a powerful blast of snow, which he used to cover the entire ring. Flame Princess gasped in fear, any contact with the ice would be unbearable for her and would probably lead her to lose the battle. Her brain was clouded by anger and desperation, she had only two shots left and flying away looked like a stupid option.

"Flame Princess you must chill out!" Jake's voice suggested "Fridjitzu's breathing techniques are not just rubbish, you must breathe and focus!"

_"Breathe and focus! Breathe and focus! Breathe and focus…" the_ princess repeated the mantra mentally while her anger diminished a little.

Flame Princess then closed her eyes and focused, she needed something to melt the snow while keeping herself at a safe distance from Xergiock's Blizzard blast _"Blizzard blast…"_ she reflected _"Blizzard…blast… I won't be able to create ice like him…that's impossible…my only resource is fire…blast…blast…" _This time her eyes popped open as she snapped her fingers in realization "I got it!"

The flaring princess cupped her hands and drew them to her side to quickly expel an explosive beam of wild flames that instantly launched her into the air. Her body avoided entering in contact with the ice while the powerful blast consumed the snow beneath her unleashing a thick cover of steam throughout the entire arena.

Xergiock was able to regain his sight after –by petition of the Mayor– the Ice King used his winter winds to blow the steam away. The globlin's pink eyes rolled up searching for the princess, but surprisingly she had vanished along with the steam.

"W-where'd she go?! I'm pretty sure this gal can't turn into a bat, can she?"

Lemongrab, who was still shivering because of the cold, raised an eyebrow and pointed a certain spot on the fissured platform "I-I may be making as-sumptions, but I-I think she 's h-hiding in there…idi-idiot…!"

The ex-goblin king's eyes widened in surprise, a large hole was made in the same spot where Flame Princess' fire blast had hit the ground. Xergiock peeked into the opening carefully, the border was still burning like flaring cinder and a dim wave of heat could still be felt from the inside.

"Hehe, you're trying to use the element of surprise against me?" the goblin walked away from the hole and crossed his arms letting a cocky grin grace his face "I'm sorry little grasshopper, but your tactics are just too obvious and-…"

The ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly, in just a few seconds, Flame Princess' body had burst out of the floor breaking through the platform like a blazing comet "Surprise!" the burning girl shouted as her fist clashed against Xergiock's chin.

His body flew up high and crashed out of the ring, Flame Princess was about to cry victory when the goblin's body exploded in a puff of smoke.

"No way!" Jake's voice gasped in awe "A ninja illusion!"

"A what?!" the confused princess panted. Her three shots had been already used. She was exhausted and defenseless.

"Surprise!" the goblin screeched behind her "Time for Xergiock's signature ending blow!"

Flame Princess shut her eyes and clenched her teeth waiting for a powerful blow to send her out of the ring, but instead she felt a jolting sting on her rear end that caused her to trip out of the platform in surprise.

"SPANK! Hehehe!"

"The flame gal's out of bounds, Xer-..gio…ugh…the goblin wins!"

The flaring princess's face reddened with a combination of anger and embarrassment, did that freak have just…smacked her butt? The idea itself, and the still present sting on the lower part of her back disgusted her. A sudden burst of rage boiled inside her.

"THAT'S IT, YOU'RE DEAD NOW!" she screamed furiously as her head exploded in flames.

"Uh-oh… no sapphire, no way to control her!" Marceline flew over Princess Bubblegum "You'll have to shot her down again, if you don't want to endanger everyone's life, Bonnie!"

Jake was next to the sugary princess embracing her leg as if that could protect him "Shot her down?" he whispered before noticing how Bubblegum pulled a gun out of her pocket "W-wait! You're going to kill her!?"

"Kill? Jake, what the? I'm just going to-Jake?!" the princess exclaimed feeling his tight grip on her leg. She was so focused on Marceline that she didn't notice the dog's presence close to her.

"Hey, Flame P!" the Vampire Queen called "C'mon, chill out friend… a smack in the buttocks can't be that bad, didn't your dad ever punish you when you were a small flame?"

"Waaargh! FREAK!" another battle cry was heard; Marceline immediately turned her head toward it and smiled.

Finn was storming towards the platform ready to give Xergiock a bloody nose "No one spanks my girlfriend right in front of me and leaves as if nothing had happened, NO ONE!"

Somehow Finn's yelling reached the blazing humanoid's ears making her return to her normal form with an "Awww…!" and a blush.

Princess Bubblegum sighed in relief shoving the dart gun back into her pocked "Phew… thank Glob, Finn's intervention managed to stabilize her…"

The human boy hopped into the stage; his intentions were clear for everyone, charge against that jerk and make him pay for insulting his lady. "Get ready to-…!" A green grassy hand covered his face.

"Hold on Finn, let it be me the one who avenges our dear Flame Princess' honor…"

Finn slid his face up the massive hand; Donny was standing in the middle of the platform strangling the goblin's neck with his other hand while he stared back at Finn with a pleased smile. For some reason he was wearing a red leather collar around his neck with a tiny skull hanging from it and, (apparently this happened each time the ogre was around Flame P) a pair of blue jeans and shoes to look and act in a more civilized way.

"**Our?!**" the human shrieked in disbelieve, what was that grassy guy thinking?

* * *

**Battle 7: Finn the Human _V.S._ Donny the Grass Ogre!**

"It's obvious my dear Finn, that you have a weird tendency of confusing the bases of friendship with other kind of relationships. Take for example the cool collar on my neck, Jungle Princess put it on me stating that our friendship was based on a owner-pet-pet-owner relationship, that way, her other female friends would let me stay with them instead of killing me and serve my roasted body for dinner." The ogre crossed his arms proudly "She takes me for a walk every morning and lets me mess with the housies the whole day, hehe, it's wonderful…!" he cleared his voice to sound more serious "Anyway, you get the idea, right? Now I'm participating in this match 'cause I'm hoping to meet more giant housies like the Farm and introduce them to my owner…! Pretty neat, isn't it?"

Donny opened his eyes and realized that Finn was missing; his sight immediately darted toward Lemongrab whose head was hung down while he squinted at his wristwatch.

"W-where did Finn go?!"

"Finn? He asked for a time out fifteen seconds ago…" the lemon replied not staring back at him "Sixteen…seventeen…"

"Seventeen seconds ago?!" the ogre yelped in astonishment "But I started my lecture seventeen seconds ago! Finn wasn't listening to anything I said, how disrespectful! Hmmph!"

"Hey, are you sure you're feeling okay now?" the human boy's voice guided the ogre's head toward the other side of the stage where he was tying the Pyrali's sapphire back on Flame Princess' neck.

"Yeah, it's just…you know… this has been happening a lot lately…" the fire girl answered tiredly "Must be because of the exhausting training we were forced to endure, don't worry."

Finn held her hands between his and smiled warmly "Even though you lost, I think you were awesome there!" his face blushed a little "If you need something, don't hesitate on calling me, okay?"

"Don't be silly, Princess Bubblegum is taking care of me!" she pecked his cheek and pushed him back to the stage "Go beat 'em up!"

_"Jelly, jelly it's never good, makes you frown and look like a toot…!" _Donny sang as Finn hopped back into the destroyed platform.

"Whoa dude, you wrote that one too?" the boy asked with sincerity "Sorry left, I was checking on **my** dear Flame Princess. She hasn't been feeling okay lately…"

The indignant look on his green face vanished "Oh Glob, what's wrong with her?" his hand shoved out a bunch of papers from his pockets "Perhaps one of my musical messages will help her feel better…!"

"Umm, thanks but…I already took care of that…" Finn commented reluctantly.

"What's the matter with my songs, huh?!" Donny suddenly reacted throwing his papers aside "You still think they are dumb?!"

"I-I never said that! Dude, you gotta calm down a little if you don't wanna look like a jerk in front of everyone!"

The ogre quickly regained his composure "You are right, Finn the Human. I' not allowed to act like a jerk when there aren't any housies around…" he combed the leave on his head backwards "I'm wearing blue jeans now, that makes me a smart guy!"

Finn rubbed his chin thoughtfully "That's right, you're a smart guy! Say, umm… I'm a little lost, can you direct me towards the sun?"

"The sun? Of course my friend! The sun is right…" Donny raised his sight upwards fixing his eyes directly on the shinning star, it took him a while to realize that his eyes were been cooked "here…-MY EYES! My eyes, I'm blind, blind!"

The young hero dashed towards him and slid down to kick his ankles, Donny lost his balance and collapsed on the floor rolling in pain.

"Haha, you fell for it!"

"Finn, you big bully!" the grass ogre roared as he got back on his feet "You toyed with my good will, that's low…like really, really low!"

"Look, I'm sorry but that's how I'm supposed to act if I wanna beat you!" Finn replied "We've won four battles so far and I can't afford to lose this one, 'cause the Ice King will be fighting against Huntress Wizard in the next one, and I'm sure as heck he doesn't stand a chance."

"Hey!" the blue old man grunted angrily "I'm right here, ya know?!"

"Humph! Well I think you're acting in a jerky way most likely!" Donny complained, "Playing pranks on innocent peeps is just-… wait a minute, I understand now!"

"Understand what?" Finn inquired with curiosity.

"The key to win this wrestling contest is to act like a total jerk, that way; I won't feel bad about hurting you!"

"What? No, Donny!" the human boy rebuked anxiously "This is not about being a jerk; it's about using your head!"

"Hehe, right!" the ogre's voice turned deeper "I get it!"

Donny ripped off his clothes and charged towards Finn at high speed, the human managed to duck him in time but Donny skid on his feet at the platform's edge with great skill to perform his onslaught once again.

"Whoa, Donny! That's awesome!" Finn exclaimed as he ran away from the mighty ogre "How do you call that move?"

"Using my head!"

Donny charged against him once more, this time managing to deliver a powerful headbutt blow on Finn's stomach. The young hero's body landed close to the edge with a loud thud.

"Slamacow dude… You almost got me there…bleh…"

/

Noodle laughed grimly at the scene before him, he was enjoying to see how that human boy was being jacked up mercilessly in battle "Hehe, serves you well kid! That's what you get for not buying my stolen goods!"

_"Ugh…is this thing working?" _the gummy worm's voice asked through the walkie-talkie _"Hello boss, can you hear me?"_

_"_Loud and clear, Bobby!" the despicable jewel seller replied holding his transmitter.

_"Loud and clear, what? The match? Is it exciting?!"_

"Fool! I'm talking about-…tsk! Forget it, okay?! Why are you calling me?!"

_"The bombs have been placed and are ready to be activated, sir!"_

A vicious smirk crossed Noodle's face, "Excellent job Bobby! Get away from that place as fast as you can, I'm gonna blow up that place in four minutes!"

_"Four? Why not five?"_

"'Cause five's too mainstream, Bobby!"

/

Finn wiped off the sweat on his forehead and grinned weakly, Donny's "Jerk State" was giving him quite a fight. He almost felt grateful for the extra workouts that the Train had given him every time he broke a rule during the training.

"Hey Donny!" the boy panted "You have improved a lot, dude!"

"Yeah I know," the grass ogre replied with conceit "You aren't doing it bad either, human!"

"Hehe, thanks!" Finn chuckled exhaustedly "You know? I've been considering the idea of resting all our hopes on the Ice King's shoulders, a sudden death battle sounds kinda good when you're about to faint."

"F-faint? Please…!" Donny fell and leaned on his arms "Well, maybe we should rest a little… Let's see if you stop whining, baby!"

The crowd would get bored Finn was aware of that, but he was also aware of the ogre's exhaustion. To tell the truth, the human could have kept going like that for about one or two more hours, and wrestling with Donny was so much fun that he decided to let the poor guy rest for awhile.

"Right Donny, thanks for keeping me from whining!" Finn sat down following the ogre's example and sighed peacefully. Little did he know that a pair of jewel thieves were counting the seconds to blow up the island's most representative building.

It all began with a terrified shriek from a lady amongst the crowd; the multitude then faced the old windmill crumbling down in flames and gasps, people leaving their seats in fear while others –mostly public authorities– tried their bests to calm them down. Billy and the others jumped into the action almost immediately, some to help control the scared multitude and others to prevent the surrounding houses from catching fire.

A powerful cry from Huntress Wizard cursing her luck helped Finn to realize that the tournament was over. Guru's Island attention was now centered on the falling windmill.

"Momma!" he heard Lemongrab yelp in desperation, the image of Mrs. Yoder and her three little birds flashed into his brain. It was time to act.

"Jake!" Finn called his loyal companion and brother with determination.

The magical dog stretched his body twenty times his size after letting the human boy jump over his back. His giant paws rushed towards the collapsing building, not before picking a weirdly grateful Lemongrab up so he could help them rescue Mrs. Yoder.

"Finn!" Doctor Princess yelled when they were about to leave the arena, "You might need this!" The crimson sword was thrown into the air for the young hero to catch it and sheath it into his backpack's sewed strap.

When they approached the burning windmill, Finn and Lemongrab leaped off Jake's back and sprinted towards the building as fast as they could. The crumbling structure was easily giving up causing the human to stop his running and watch in awe how the tower leaned dangerously towards its side.

"I'll cover you bro!" Jake's voice announced as his magic body was wrapped around the building in an attempt to keep it on its place, the flames spreading through his golden fur.

"J-Jake!"

"I'll be okay, just hurry up!"

Finn entered in the windmill covering his mouth with his arm, the smoke and the dust made it almost impossible for him see anything and the collapsed debris were keeping him from advancing any further. The boy walked blindly feeling how the wild flames licked his unprotected skin; the difference was that, these flames wouldn't apologize for hurting him.

His hands bumped against the broken stairway, Finn tried to climb them immediately, but the wood had splintered needling itself into his fingers. The young hero retrieved his hands with a groan and drew his Demon Blood sword out; he'll have to use the blade as a tool for climbing.

"Lemongrab…! Mrs. Yoder…!" Finn cried trying to glimpse them amidst the smoke "W-where are they…?"

_**"Look on your right…"** _an ominous voice growled from out of nowhere.

"Who said that?!" the young hero demanded swinging his sword aimlessly around him.

_**"I'm right under your nose, fool…"** _

His blue eyes drifted towards the red weapon in his hands, the blade was glowing dimly causing him to drop it instantaneously. The boy stepped back seeking to hide his own astonishment.

"Blood Demon!" he exclaimed in annoyance "Why don't just get a life?! What was that spell like? Obama Pancakes? B-bacon Pancakes, maybe?"

**_"You have no need to cast that spell again, human cub!" _** A dark-red winged demon materialized himself before Finn. His red glowing eyes pierced into his mind **_"I have fought by your side in countless battles, my power has been your power, and its because of my blood that you are still alive!"_**

"So what?!" the young human replied angrily "Get back into that sword and stay there! That's where you belong!"

**_"You don't understand anything, do you?"_ **the Blood Demon floated over him _**"Time has created a strong bond between us, it is my obligation to aid you and give you advice on your quest…Master Finn…"** _

The demon's voice sounded suspicious, something was telling Finn not to trust his words, after all, why would have Joshua tried to banish him in the first place? "I…" the boy whispered reluctantly, the power of his crimson sword was definitively something he was tempted to try "How can I know if you're reliable, Demon?!"

An evil smirk was drawn across the winged devil's face **_"I shall prove my loyalty by guiding you towards those who need your help…"_ **his spirit vanished inside the sword _**"Look on your right…"** _

"My right…?" Finn crouched down and pulled the crimson blade upwards, its power engulfed his entire body momentarily "I am this sword's master…" he whispered unconsciously, a vermillion glimmer shining in his irises.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, here you go (Thank God "Ice King Why'd you Steal our Garbage" distracted me from writing only six or seven hours XP).

The tournament ended in a rather tragic way and a powerful blade has awakened to betray its master, things are surely getting rough here... Will the two jewel thieves steal the seventh Cosmic Weapon? Will Mrs. Yoder and her babies be okay? Will Jake tell Finn about his recent discovery? What kind of implications will the Blood Demon's influence have on the young hero's actions?

Next week I'll be posting the first chapter of the third arc, we are getting closer and closer to this fanfic's ending guys!

Thanks for staying with me this whole time, I promise the next chapters will be exciting!

* * *

**Here's Lady's dialog in English, you know...Google Translate doesn't exactly _translate_...**

"Bad Jake!" Lady's voice rang in his ears and pierced his brain "Stop acting like a crazy monkey and pull yourself together, can't you see the terrible impression you're causing on our puppies?"

The furry beast leaned forward, there was awe reflected in his now tranquil eyes. His index finger reached for his lower lip as he repeated "Puppies…?"

"You remember them, right?" the Rainicorn asked gently "You and me are soon going to become parents, and our kids don't need a psycho for a dad…"

"Dad… I remember…" The size of his body was quickly reduced, his face regained Jake's usual glee and charisma "Lady?"

"Jake?" his girlfriend replied sweetly.

"That guy was messing with our song…" a normalized Jake sighed with regret "And I just went crazy to shut him up!"

Lady Rainicorn shook her head "Oh silly, no one will ever ruin our song… it is permanently recorded in our hearts…"

The golden dog's tail started to wag softly, he reduced his size even more to acquire Beemo's height and embraced the screen "I love you, babe…"

"I love you too, my short-brained puppy!"


	41. Into the Storm!

Adventure Time: The Awakening of Heroes!

**III: The Awakening**

* * *

_Tale 41:_ Into the Storm!

Doctor Princess stayed in the arena controlling the multitude's exit with the aid of her penguin friends. The people of Guru Island were scared, never before had they witnessed an event of such catastrophic proportions. Living on an island with hardworking people and a united community kept them save from experiencing that kind of disasters, it was probable that most of them had never seen an explosion in their lives.

"C'mon, c'mon! Everything will be fine, just keep walking people!" the doctor assured as she pushed the citizen's back with a soft manner towards the closest exit. The wind hit her face messing her brown hair, some annoying bangs danced on her glasses causing her to mutter a few words of discontentment.

The wind. Doctor Princess raised her eyes towards the enormous column of smoke that was growing right where the island's windmill used to be, making her wonder why was the wind still insisting to blow, if without the old spinning tower the presence of those wild gusts seemed to be in vain. Gathering more dullish cumulus clouds in the once blue firmament; that was all what the stubborn gales were doing in the scientist's opinion.

"Wenk!" She felt a flipper pulling her skirt insistently.

The greenish girl occupied a few more seconds to snap out of her trance and look down at a pair of big starry eyes. She crouched down curving a smile on her lips despite the messy chaos around her and petted the bird's head gently.

"What is it Gunther? Are you scared too?"

The penguin frowned shaking her head from side to side frantically, giving small hops and pointing in the opposite direction as she squawked repeatedly. Doctor Princess gasped, she followed Gunther's flipper and found a pair of strange figures looming over the winners' pedestal.

"The cosmic weapon!" she cried, her knees springing upwards. Princess Bubblegum, Finn and the others had explained her the crucial role of said mystical object in their arduous mission of defeating the Lich "I gotta stop 'em!"

"Wenk!" the small penguin replied staring at her.

"That's right Gunther," she raised her clenched fist in determination "This looks like a job for…!" her hands reached out for a small backpack under her feet from where she shoved out a new lab coat "Science Whyzard! … But first I need to find a place where I can go change myself into my disguise…"

"Wenk…" Gunther sighed frowning a little.

"What do mean by-? I've studied several pre-mushroom war graphic works about how superheroes act, all we have to do is to find a telephone cabin!"

"Wenk…"

"Comics? Never heard of them before!"

Thus, after getting into her "Superhero disguise" Doctor Princess dashed towards the winner's pedestal. Her gloved hand reached out for a blue potion in her pocket and she broke it against the ground to unleash a thick cloud of bluish smoke.

The two perpetrators backed away covering their mouths, an unstoppable urgency to cough filling their lungs. Noodle and Bobby fell out of the smoke with red watery eyes and the silver ring in their possession, the humanoid creature rubbed his face stumbling dizzily on his way up.

"What the heck wuz that?!" he spat angrily.

"That was the bluish bliss of justice!" Science Whyzard cried remembering the lines of her "pre-mushroom war graphic works". According to them, superheroes never fail to mention the word justice in their speeches.

"N-Noodle!" the gummy worm stammered wrapping his body around his boss' leg nervously "I-I think that wo-woman is some sort of cop…!"

"That's right! I'm Science Whyzard and I'm here to protect the peace, defend the innocent, and kick your butts into jail for trying to steal really valuable stuff!" The penguins around her clapped in admiration "Now give back that ring before I use science to make you whine!"

"Hehe…" Noodle chuckled skeptically "I'd like to see that. All you've got is a weird flask and a microscope in your hands, what are you going to do? Study us to death?"

Science Whyzard made a sudden movement; she rolled behind Bobby and knocked him out by hitting the back of his head with the small optical instrument. As the worm collapsed on her feet, Doctor Princess smiled confidently and asked "Any Questions?"

The robber's eyelids twitched in disbelief while he stepped back with the cosmic weapon in his gripped fist "Bobby is an idiot, y-you will not t-take me down so easily!" his foot bumped with something soft. Noodle turned his head; his eyes met a group of angry penguins and a pink glowing kitty sending him a death glare.

"You know what villain…?" the disguised doctor whispered crossing her arms "Crime does not pay."

"Heh! Well at least I managed to blow up that stupid windmill!"

Doctor Princess' mood turned serious all of a sudden "So you did it…" she made a step forward and he made a step back "There will be consequences to your acts… Severe consequences."

**x+x+x+x+x**

Inside Dr. Princess' lab everything was a mess, innocent citizens who where hanging around the windmill before the explosion were rescued by Marceline and Flame Princess while the Ice King used his icy winds to extinguish the deadly flames on the surrounding houses and Billy and Susan used their muscles to lift heavy debris in search of more survivors.

Those who were lucky enough to keep themselves alive were scooped into the air by either the thousand year-old Vampire Queen or the young flaring princess, who would carry them as fast as possible towards the lab where Princess Bubblegum worked hard on attending their wounds.

Thankfully for the candy monarch, Doctor Princess had walked in a few minutes ago with a pair of chained dudes. The green scientist claimed that they were the couple of scums who had caused the disaster and that they also had the intention of stealing the cosmic weapon.

Bobby and Noodle were thrown into a small cage that was conveniently placed inside the lab. Then the not-so-princess scientist proceeded to give the silver ring to Princess Bubblegum with a discerning smile.

"I don't care about that stupid tournament or the Mayor anymore, you guys have come a long way and I think you deserve to keep the prize." She placed the jewel on Bubblegum's hand and closed it softly "Congratulations."

A grateful grin was about to grace the sugary princess' face when someone kicked the door open and stormed into the lab, that person was none other that Huntress Wizard and she was furious.

"No! It can't be over yet!" the forest dweller yelled as she kicked a chair out of her way. A certain frozen king who was about to step inside noticed this and tried to tiptoe out of the scene "You owe me a fight!" the huntress declared firing a magic arrow towards him.

"Ugh…that counts as one shot!" Ice King yelped before he jumped desperately into the clouded skies followed by the enraged female wizard "Please Huntress Wizard! The tournament is over!" he excused himself.

"Then that means I can use all my powers on you!" she cried as ran behind him at full speed.

"Heeelp!"

"Geez, the Ice King needs to learn one thing or two about dealing with mad women…"

That comment came from the other side of the door causing everyone inside to stop what they were doing just to confirm if their ears had heard the voice of Jake the Dog laughing at the Ice King's problems or if it was just their imagination.

The stretched canine that trotted in carrying a gleeful boy, a lemon-themed candy person and a small nest with four semi-conscious birds inside corroborated that their tired minds hadn't ran so wild after all.

"Finn! Jake!" Bonibel shouted as she rushed towards them to squeeze their bodies with a tight hug "You guys had everyone worried sick about you this whole time!"

Jake's golden fur was stained with charred spots all over his body just like Finn's clothes and skin. Lemongrab, who was now holding Mrs. Yoder's nest in his arms, presented the same condition, but miraculously none of them seemed to be severely injured. Doctor Princess immediately took the mother and birdies so she could start working with whatever side effect that breathing smoke could have caused to their health.

"It's all thanks to my little brother Finn here!" the magical dog explained as he pulled the blushing boy closer "I don't know how he did it, but it only took him seconds to find Mrs. Yoder and the others inside that inferno!"

"Glob Jake…" Finn smiled in embarrassment "I wouldn't have find them in time if wasn't for-…" the boy tried to point his sword but Jake's paw got in the way and made him trail off.

"Nah, nah… There's no need to be so modest, kid…" the dog said while he patted his back "You made a great deed and you deserve to be rewarded for it!"

"B-but Jake I-…" the human tried to excuse himself again. His blue eyes spotted a familiar face within a small cage in a distant corner "Hey! Isn't that the weird jewel seller from the other day?"

Dr. Princess turned around slightly to stare at him "I don't know, but he and his friend are responsible for the destruction of the island's most representative symbol, the interruption of the most important fighting event of the year and–Oh! They also tried to steal the cosmic weapon."

"What?!" the two adventurer brothers gasped.

"Yeah, what?!" the Earl of Lemongrab replied angrily as he loomed over the cage, his hand was now resting on his sword's hilt "You nasty guys dared to bomb the thing!? The spinning thing!? Momma lived there, you know?! You could've killed Momma! You must pay! Sound sword punishment! SOUND SWORD PUNISHMENT!"

Noodle and Bobby embraced each other feeling how the fear took control of them when Lemongrab drew out a fork-like weapon, it's edges were being surrounded by an incessant glowing aura which –even though they had no idea of how could it harm them– looked tremendously menacing each time the lemon guy screamed.

"No!" Princess Bubblegum smacked Lemongrab's hand causing him to drop his sword involuntarily. The golden aura vanished once the blade had touched the floor. "Nobody's getting punished today! Not at least until we make sure that everyone in here is doing fine and their wounds had been treated properly!"

The Earl stared at his creator with a hiss while he rubbed his smacked hand.

"It is nice to know that you want to defend me and my babies, dear." Mrs. Yoder whispered trying to force a smile "But the Princess is right, we don't need more hurt people in here."

"Fineee." The lemon muttered as he walked away.

Bubblegum sighed deeply watching her messed creation leave "Okay…now…" she began "Finn, Jake. If you're not too exhausted, I'd like you to help me with something over here."

The two brothers nodded and followed her into a different room. The walls were full of bookshelves and most of their literary content was scrambled all over a table where Bubblegum had devoted herself to work on the many issues that surrounded her and her friends for the last two weeks.

The human boy and the magical dog walked inside trying not to step on the several notes that where scattered around the floor, they had never seen or imagined that Princess Bubblegum was capable of working in such messy conditions, but then again, she used to have Peppermint Butler in her Castle lab always ready to take care of her scientific jumble so, how could they know?

"These…" Bubblegum's fatigued voice echoed through the room, she carried a box filled with empty syringes towards them. The sugary princess saw the two flinching nervously when she dropped the box over the table and chuckled "No, guys. These aren't for you, hehe. I just need you to help me check if they all work correctly."

"W-what are these for Poibles?" Finn asked reaching out for one of the needles.

Bubblegum filled a bucket with water from the sink and brought it to the table "Doctor Princess and I finished the new Decorpsinator Serum this morning, its effect should work on the living to help their immune systems fight the zombieficating cells that will probably attack our bodies at dusk."

"B-But…" Jake replied shakily "The mist doesn't affect this island, that's-…!"

"It will now that windmill has been destroyed." Bubblegum interjected coldly "Now be good and test those syringes by absorbing and ejecting this water with them, I'll come back later to see how you're doing, okay?"

Assuming that the two adventurers before her had no more questions, Princess Bubblegum abandoned the room after pulling a white coat from the clothing rack on her right. She had to get back to the wounded as soon as possible, but in her hurry the small cosmic ring slipped out of her pocket and bounced under the bookshelves without her noticing it.

"Grod man, Peebles can be a little scary some times…" a dumbfounded Finn commented little after the princess left.

"Uh yeah! Like that time when she wanted us to capture the Duke of nuts because you turned her green and hairless, hehe. Or when Marceline spat on her clothes, oh! And today at the tournament… man I thought she was going to kill Flame Princess with that gun, hehe!"

"Wait, what?!" the young hero threw his syringe into the water bucket and grabbed Jake's shoulders in disconcertment "What gun? What are you talking about, bro?"

"Ugh…well… You remember when Flame P was about become a fiery beast after her battle with that screwball goblin?" Finn nodded "Well I got a little scared. Just a little, okay? And I ran to Bubblegum's side, 'cause you know, she's smart and swift and all that. I expected her to do something about it and that was when she pulled this weird dart gun!" he mimicked a firing pistol with his hands "Pew! Pew! And Marceline flew over us and she was like 'You'll have to shoot her down 'cause someone might get hurt!' and I was like 'Whoa PB, are you going to kill Flame P?!' And she was all 'J-Jake?!' But then FP was all 'Awww' when you went into the stage and then Bubblegum was like 'Phew…Finn stabilized her…' End of my story."

Finn let go of his brother and stumbled down on his knees. Nothing made sense, why would Marcy and PB want to shoot down Flame Princess? They've been traveling together for a while now and he was sure that they were aware of Flame P's temper; she was a mood swinger, but she had learned to keep herself away from hurting innocent people since the Goblin Kingdom incident. It didn't matter how mad she'd get, Flame Princess wouldn't dare to attack anyone unless someone's life was in danger.

"Then why?" the boy whispered weakly as he shoved a small dart from his pocket "She thought it was a mistake…"

"Mistake? Where did you get that bro? It looks like the thing that Bubblegum was about to-…!"

"Bubblegum used it on Flame Princess when were fighting the Hydra…sh-she almost drowns in the ocean because of it! W-why? Why is she carrying that gun with her? And is Flame P always the target? What's going on, Jake?!"

The magical bulldog wrapped himself around Finn trying to calm him down a bit "Don't worry bro, I'm one hundred percent sure that PB has a very good explanation about this! She's our friend, isn't she? And she only seeks to keep us safe… Do you want me to call her while you clear you mind in here for a while?"

Finn nodded slightly "Yeah… that would be cool…"

"Okay, then… I'll be back with Princess Bubblegum in a minute!"

Jake stretched himself out of the room, leaving Finn alone. The boy pulled his body towards a wall and leaned on it while he reflected about his brother's words. He was right; Peebles must have a reasonable explanation. The Princess wasn't the kind of person who attacked people just because; perhaps she and Flame Princess had some sort of secret agreement to help her control her powers, or something like that.

"_**You seem to be quite confident about the candy princess, master…" **_

Finn pulled his sword out and held it in front of his face. The blade was glowing dimly with a crimson aura. "What do you mean by that, Blood Demon?"

"_**I'm just wondering how can you be so sure about the princess' true intentions; as far as I know, she used to act envious around your mate once…"**_

"We use the word girlfriend here, and what the heck are you talking about?!" Finn inquired angrily, that demon was messing with Peeble's reputation. "I trust Princess Bubblegum! I'd trust my own life to her!"

"_**Trust? Relying blindly on other people is for the weak and my wielder shall not be weakling!"**_

"Heh…" the young hero chuckled "But isn't that what I'm doing with you? Relaying blindly on a sword?"

"_**You're wrong master, I can still feel mistrust toward me in your heart and that's a wise choice, even though I've done everything in my power to prove my loyalty to you. I led you to the wounded ones in the collapsing windmill, didn't I?"**_

"Princess Bubblegum has also proved that she's my friend and I don't rely blindly on her!" Finn yelled in desperation, he felt that the sword was trying to tempt him into betraying Bubblegum's trust.

"_**So, you're totally sure that the Princess isn't hiding any secrets from you? Hehe…"**_

Finn's hand quivered, he wasn't completely sure about that after his recent discovery "I…" his voice was barely a whisper.

"_**Let me prove you who's really worthy of earning your trust, master…"**_ the Blood Demon materialized his body before Finn and pointed the scattered papers over the table with his dark red claws. _**"Those are Princess Bubblegum's notes, read them and find it out on your own…"**_

The young hero used the sword to help himself get back on his feet and strode towards the table. Confusing notes with unreadable handwriting, complicated textbooks and strange mathematical formulas passed by Finn's eyes as he rummaged Princess Bubblegum's researches. The word elemental popped out under some coffee-stained papers, Finn pushed them away anxiously and found what the Blood Demon wanted him to see.

Flame Princess' name was scribbled everywhere, the description of her elemental matrix's concerning condition and the daily account of Bubblegum's increasing worry was written on some sort of diary where the sugary princess had also documented all of her failed attempts to find a cure and her final decision of sedating the fire elemental each time her powers ran wild in an attempt to prevent her instability reaction from being unchained before scheduled.

Finn backed away feeling how his own nerves betrayed him, his brain couldn't fully understand all that information, but it was clear that there was something wrong with Flame Princess. Her life was in danger and Princess Bubblegum knew it, the boy could only wonder why Bubblegum didn't warn him about it. Why wasn't he allowed to know about Flame P's condition?

"_**You see master? You can't even rely on those who claim to be your friends…"**_ the demon placed his claws on Finn's shoulder _**"Everyone's alone in this world, luckily, Joshua left me here for you…"**_ he leaned closer and whispered in his ear _**"I'm the only one on whom you can truly rely…" **_

Finn's eyes sparkled with a tint of red as he lowered his head in disappointment "You're right…Princess Bubblegum…Marceline…th-they knew about this and they never told me, even though they are my best friends in the world… I can't trust them anymore."

"Finn!" Bubblegum's voice echoed from outside. The crimson devil smirked and vanished inside the blade before she appeared at the door's frame "What's wrong, Finn?"

The sugary princess rushed to his side when the boy collapsed on his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. She knelt in front of him and raised his chin in her hand delicately.

"What is it Finn?" her voice asked softly "Jake told me that you needed to talk with me about something, is it that why you're crying?"

Finn shut his eyes tightly causing more tears roll down his face as he rested his head on the princess' shoulder searching for consolation. "What's wrong with Flame P?" the boy asked feeling Bubblegum's comforting arms around him "Is she going to die?"

Princess Bubblegum flinched in astonishment and fear, her hands reached for Finn's shoulders and pushed him back a little so she could look at him straight into his eyes "H-how do you know about that?" there was no sign of emotion in her voice except for nervousness "Did you read my notes?"

Finn didn't reply.

"Finn, did you read my notes?" the boy remained silent "Answer me, Finn! Did you read them?!"

"What if I did?! Where you planning to tell me about it?!" the human boy reacted aggressively "Why didn't you tell me about it?! Why didn't Marceline or Flame Princess do it either?!"

Princess Bubblegum felt the anxiousness building up inside her, she was expecting that reaction from him if he ever found about her secret. Finn wasn't that kind of person, but she was prepared to be hated by him if something like this happened, and so did Marceline. However, she couldn't let Finn blame the fiery girl, it would only torn his heart apart even more.

"Leave Flame Princess out of this, she isn't even aware of her condition…"

The young hero gasped widening his eyes "H-how come?"

"I promised the Flame King not to tell her, she wouldn't have been able to enjoy her freedom knowing that she'd die in any moment…" Bubblegum explained, "As for you and the others… it was pretty much for the same reason, especially because of you and her becoming so intimate lately… Guess I was just trying to protect you both…" she raised her sight trying to form a humble smile in her lips "You outta trust me, Finn. I did it for your own good, and I'm not giving up. I'll find the cure just-… Just trust me, okay?"

"_**Who's reliable in this world, master?" **_The Blood Demon whispered inside his mind.

"No!" Finn yelled pushing her away "I won't! I don't trust you! I _can't_ trust you anymore!" the human got back on his feet and rushed out of the lab fighting to repress his tears of anger "Stay away from me, Bubblegum!"

"No, Finn! Please wait!" Princess Bubblegum saw him disappear behind the door and then brought her fists to the cold ceramic floor. Her exhausted reflection warned of the incoming tears within her eyes. There was nothing left to do in order to fix the situation, Bubblegum could only wipe away those tears and continue working in the cure.

Hopefully Finn would forgive her one day…

**x+x+x+x+x**

Galleon, the tiny Manticore collapsed on the sand. His wings were broken and his blood was staining the white sands around him, the pain was unbearable and so was the fact of being cursed with immortality.

The man who had once been his friend and companion during his vast study about the mysteries of magic and the discovery of the cosmic tear had tortured him mercilessly, finally forcing him to reveal the location of Pyralis' secret.

"Devil's eye island you said…" Barnabas whispered as loomed over his tiny body "Why did you have to hide it here?! Why in this miserable place where the ghost of my most painful memories is still present trying to haunt my soul?!"

"Hehe…for that same reason, my old friend." The Manticore snickered weakly "You'd have never dared to visit this island…"

The masked man growled with hatred and stepped over Galleon's body crushing him like if he was nothing but a dirty roach. "You loathsome insect! How dare you underestimate me?! My emotions can't control me, much less lead my actions!" he crouched down and pulled Galleon's shattered body up by grabbing his scorpion-like tail "And to prove you the veracity of my words I shall take you to the wrecked ship…"

"The…wrecked…ship…Es…capade?" the tiny creature whispered skeptically.

"Oh, so you remember its name, huh?" Barnabas chuckled viciously "A storm is coming… how about if we use its remains as a shelter, I'm sure that your old friend's spirit wouldn't mind if I stay there, hehe!"

"You…killed him bastard…! D-don't even dare to…to step inside…his ship…"

"Why wouldn't I, Galleon? After all… You were the one who brought me here in the first place…" the masked man began walking along the shore "When the storm diminishes a little we'll be able to look for Pyralis' seal secret together, just like in the old days…"

"Humph…! As if the old days…had some sort of meaning for…you…!" the Manticore muttered with disdain. His worst enemy was going to desecrate his best friend's soul resting place and on top of that, he had managed to reach the island before the eight-heroes-to-be. The pain of his broken bones was nothing compared to the wrath that was searing his tiny deathless heart in that moment.

"You have no idea, Galleon…" the masked man replied calmly "You have no idea…"

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn ran down the island ignoring Jake's worried calling and Doctor Princess' warning of the cumulonimbus clouds accumulation in the sky, the winds' speed was raising itself considerably, announcing the soon arrival of a powerful storm just like greenish scientist had predicted. But the human boy simply ignored the signs of nature as well.

He felt that his entire world had crumbled down in a matter of seconds, Princess Bubblegum had betrayed him and Flame Princess was going to die no matter what he does to prevent it. Without realizing it, his feet had carried him to the shore. The ocean seemed small in comparison to the anguish in his heart.

The human boy didn't know for how long he had kept his legs going, all he knew was that when his muscles were paralyzed because of the strain he had fallen into the sand letting his tears run down his face once again.

"Why?" Finn sobbed hoping that his sword would listen "Why did I even accept your stupid help? Do you realize that…everything I ever cared for has turned into poop?!"

"_**Not everything Master…"**_ the demon replied, _**"You are letting your emotions speak for you… It's never easy, but one gets used to betrayal after a while…"**_

Finn got into a sitting position and drew out the crimson blade "How can you know? You're just a demon… You guys can evade this kind of pain easily; Marceline explained it to me once. But I'm not a demon, I'm a human and I need more than just a cold sword get over this kind of stuff! I need my friends!"

"_**So now you're regretting what happened back there? Master Finn, remember that I am only trying to aid you a protect your well-being as well as I'm caring for those who are dear to you…"**_ the Blood Demon sighed _**"Joshua's son and the fire princess are those people, I can't let others harm them in any way. We have to drive them away from danger…"**_

The young hero's eyes glowed in red once more "Drive them away from danger? How?" the boy asked with interest.

"_**Can't you see that faint glimmer buried near the ocean? I'm sure that you'll find the answer you're looking for if you investigate whatever it is…"**_

"Glimmer?" Finn whispered as he stared at the shore.

It was a transparent bottle with a message inside it. The human boy quickly sat back in the sand after pulling it out of the ground and used his teeth to remove its cork.

"_To the soon to-be-heroes of Ooo,_

_If I never get to see ya again, I want you to know part of what I can remember from Pyralis' Seal spell, to break it you'll need the power of an unlimited source of energy that can only be unleashed by one –and only one– person in specific. However, who and where this person may be it's still a mystery. To crack it, I want you to find Devil's eye island, for there is where I hid the secret some centuries ago…_

_Please guys… Hurry! I can't give you time anymore!" _

"W-who wrote this?" Finn murmured while studied the paper more closely "The Tiny Manticore?"

He awaited for an answer from the Blood Demon, but the sword's glow had faded for an unknown reason. Finn pocked the blade trying to make it react, while he did this, his ears caught the sound of a distant voice humming a strange song.

"Dang it!" the voice complained as it got closer "It's been a while since the last time I wrote a song, my notes are getting stiff…!"

"Marceline?" the boy murmured crumpling the Manticore's message inside his pocket.

"Hehe, look who's there!" the vampire shouted enthusiastically "My favorite goddie-two-shoes, Finn!" Marceline chuckled while her body floated to the human's side "Whoops!" she exclaimed when the wind threatened to blow her hat away "Can you believe how stupid I am? I mean, the sky is clouded and junk but I'm still wearing this ugly thing on my head! Hehe…!"

Finn clutched his knees against his chest, ignoring her completely.

"Hey, this is the part where you laugh!" Marceline pointed letting herself hover over him "Hellow…! Earth to Finn! Are you there, bud?" she insisted tapping his forehead with her cold fingers.

"Leave me alone, will ya?!" the angry boy muttered pushing her face away.

Marceline tilted her head in confusion and decided to sit next to him "Is something wrong with you? You don't seem like your usual self…"

"Go away…" Finn murmured after hiding his face within his knees "I don't wanna see you…"

"Oh, I get it now! You're mad at me 'cause I got overconfident with that slug and now that we are alone, you've decided to show your true colors…!" the queen teased pocking his forearm "Well isn't that right, Finny?"

The human remained silent causing a concerned expression in the vampire's features to appear, she sighed and threw her arm around his shoulder to pull him closer.

"Okay, I sense that something weird is going on here…" Marceline commented, "So I want you to tell me exactly what's the big deal and what does it have to do with the good ol' me."

"I thought that you were my friend…"

"Huh? Well, I don't want to dig into sentimentalism but… I am your friend, Finn."

"What about her?" Finn muttered silently still not wanting to reveal his face "She's somewhere around here believing that you are her friend…"

Marceline frowned taking her arm off Finn's shoulder "Her? Who are you talking about? And what's up with you looking and acting so grimly? That's not like you, Finn!"

"Just-…!" the human boy yelled getting on his feet "Quit it already Marceline, I know everything about Flame P's condition!"

"D-did Bonnie tell you about that?" the Vampire Queen inquired in surprise still sitting on the sand.

"No, I discovered it by myself! Bubblegum was planning to keep it secret and so did you, right?"

"Then I must assume that Bonnibel already explained what our intentions were and because you're so into that young flame, you have decided to ignore her excuses and now you'll act like a jerk around us until… Who knows? Until the Lich kills us or something…"

The passiveness in Marceline's attitude bothered Finn even more, she never seemed to care about anything, and perhaps Marceline never actually cared about him, Flame Princess or any of his other friends. Maybe she was even worst than Princess Bubblegum.

"You know what? Maybe I won't ever forgive you, how's that?!" the young hero yelled in anger.

"That's fine for me, baby…" the Vampire Queen crossed her arms behind her head and leaned over her back "I have a whole eternity to wait…!"

Finn wished to come back with something else, but it was obvious that Marceline wasn't going let anything affect her emotions and decided to runaway from her instead.

"That's right, Finn! Go drain some energy, you really need it!" the vampire shouted as she got back into the air and crossed her arms with resignation "Humph, teenagers…! They all behave like babies!"

The human reached for the Manticore's message in his pocket, he knew what to do now. The Blood Demon had suggested him to leave Guru Island and search for the Seal spell himself, but before he abandoned the island the demon ordered him to retrieve the ring that Bubblegum had dropped in the laboratory, assuring him that having it in his power would come in handy. And so Finn obeyed, he took what he needed and left.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Jake went out for a walk. The last time he saw his little brother the poor guy didn't look all right as usual, the magical dog strolled around the island searching for hours, but he never found Finn. The wind was blowing ferociously that afternoon, Doctor Princess said that a storm was coming and that was why the golden dog couldn't give up searching.

Seeing that Finn wasn't anywhere else, Jake thought that he had probably returned to the lab. His stretched body carried him there with promptitude; all the island's inhabitants where outside waiting in a line so Dr. Princess and Bubblegum could inject them with the serum before it was too late.

"Hey Princess!" Jake called as he rushed to her side "Have you seen Finn? I've looked for him everywhere but-…"

His words trailed off, Princess Bubblegum had a terrible look in her face. She finished working with her patient and stared back at him bitterly "I… I don't know where could he be, Jake. Perhaps he's somewhere around here with Flame Princess…"

"That's the thing, Princess! There was no sign of Flame Princess either, I swear I searched for them all over the island but… it's like if they weren't even here…"

"F-Flame Princess is also missing? But how? I-…" the princess' disconcerted eyes spotted Marceline's figure floating towards them "Marceline!" The last time she had seen the fiery girl she was rescuing survivors with Marceline, if the Vampire Queen knew where she was then it was possible to find Finn as well.

"Yo, Bonnie." The vampire replied dully. Even if she wouldn't show it her clash with the young hero had indeed messed with her feelings a little.

"Marceline, do you know where's Flame Princess?!"

"Flame P? The last time I saw her she was going to fetch me some tomato juice…" Marceline crossed her arms and raised her sight upwards "But that was some hours ago and she never returned with my juice, maybe she bumped with Finn on her way back. By the way, I noticed that he found out about our secret… Good job, Princess."

Princess Bubblegum fought to repress her desperation gritting her teeth "Marceline this is not the right time to start blaming me, okay?! Finn and Flame Princess are missing, we have three hours left before the mist consumes it all and on top of that there's a freaking storm coming!"

"They are…missing? A-are you sure?" Now the pale girl had a very unusual expression of concern in her face "What if Finn…?" her feet touched the ground as she reached for Bubblegum's arm and pulled her inside the lab.

"Take out your radar, we may be able to track Flame Princess' sapphire with it." Marceline instructed.

The pink princess nodded realizing that during her distress, the obvious and brilliant ideas always seemed to slip away from her mind. Thank Glob that Marceline was there. She didn't like to admit it, but when things turned ugly, the vampire was always more useful than herself.

"I got it, the sapphire is moving away from our current location…" Bubblegum announced. "Weird, there are actually two signals and they are very close to each other…"

"Give me the coordinates, I'll found them on the holo-screen's map." Dr. Princess replied while she walked in followed by Jake, Billy and Susan.

"The signals are located seventy-four point nine miles away from us and they are still moving in an eastern direction."

"Got it." The doctor typed the information and soon the image of a toroidal-like island appeared in the screen "The closest place in that direction is Devil's eye island, but I'm afraid that, unlike this isle, that place is completely deserted."

"Why…why would Finn want to stay on a deserted island?" Jake stammered in worry "Is he planning to become a hobo? Why is my bro acting so weird all of a sudden?"

Princess Bubblegum remained silent for a minute trying to digest the recent events "That may be my fault…" she shook her head trying ignore the sudden strike of guilt that crossed her body and focused on what really mattered at the moment "Listen, we are all pretty sure that Finn and Flame Princess are traveling together, right? If that's true then their reckless travel can put their lives in danger, Flame Princess won't be able to fly through the storm!"

Jake left out a frightened gasp "Oh no! We gotta bring them back!" he charged towards the door but for some reason he wasn't going anywhere, even though his feet were running "W-what the?" The golden dog twisted his head backwards and realized that Marceline was holding his tail.

"You're not going anywhere, Jake." She said while smirking at him "You and the others have to stay here and help Miss Doc and Bonnibel with the infection, if something goes wrong they'll need your fists to fight back while I am not around."

"Heh, so you are offering yourself to bring the kids back?" Billy chuckled.

"Of course! I'm faster, stronger and way more cooler than all of you!" the vampire gave them a bright fanged smile "If someone can bring those two safely, that's me."

"I like your enthusiasm, but don't get too overconfident." Dr. Princess advised, "You certainly remember the tournament's first encounter, right?"

Marceline rolled her eyes in annoyance "No one's ever going to let me forget that, right?" she floated towards the door "We're running out of time, guess I'll see you later guys." Her hand reached out for her axe-bass, which had been waiting for her during the last two weeks on a couch next to Nothung and the Root sword.

"Marceline." Princess Bubblegum's voice echoed, "Just be careful with the storm, okay? If you fail we'll lose Finn and Flame Princess' lives so…"

"Don't be so melodramatic, its just rain!" Marceline flew outside and stopped in mid-air to wave back at her "I'm not made of sugar, Bonnibel!"

"No wonder why she lost against a slug…" the princess sighed "Hopefully that attitude of hers will keep her save on her journey."

"Princess…" a voice that hadn't been heard in a while ringed in her ears, "Why Finn go away?"

"Susan…" Bubblegum whispered, "That's a long story, but I guess that everyone here deserves to know what's going on."

**x+x+x+x+x**

Magic arrows engulfed with a purple aura rained over the Ice King's body as he tried to fly away from the stubborn huntress. Why did she want to fight him anyway? The old wizard wasn't even sure if his was a decent opponent for her. If his magic couldn't help him escape, his chances of winning were as tiny as Gunter's brain.

"Wenk!"

"What? Now you can read minds?!"

Ice King spotted some bushes in the distance and rolled inside them with his penguin; if he couldn't escape from Huntress Wizard or defeat her then he'll just disappear from her sight.

"Where'd you go?!" the forest dweller's voice complained while the old man giggled in his hiding "Come out from wherever you are and face me, Simon!"

"Pfft…! Now she's looking for some Simon?" he chuckled silently.

"That's your name donk! Everybody knows it since Finn and Jake made your secret tapes public!"

The Ice King's head popped out of the bushes "I don't know what you're talking about, miss!"

"Wenk! Wenk! Wenk!"

"What? I'm the biggest fool you've ever known 'cause I just ruined our cover?" the blue king gasped in realization and dove back into the shrub as fast as he could while the female wizard rolled her eyes.

"Hiding is no use, donkus! I know where you are now!"

"No, you don't. You're ugh…imagining things…!" the Ice King's voice replied.

Huntress Wizard sank her arm in the bushes and pulled him out, the old magician smiled goofily mumbling something about her biggest fan. She noticed then that the Ice King had covered Gunter's head with leaves and sticks.

"Tada~! Behold…the Hunter…!" the Ice King announced as he held his penguin up "Got it? Gunter, Hunter…" the annoyed look in the huntress' eyes caused him to frown "C'mon give me some credit for my creativity and spare my life!"

"Wenk!" Gunter's flipper pointed a skinny figure drifting through the clouded skies.

Upon realizing who that was, the blue-skinned wizard slipped off the huntress' grip and shot himself towards the figure embracing her as if his life depended on it.

"W-what the?! What are you doing?! Let me go!" the Vampire Queen protested trying to push him away.

"No, Marceline please! I beg you, please Marcy be brave for me…!" the Ice King cried making her bounce clumsily in the air "That freakish babe is trying to kill me…!"

"Heck, no…!" Marceline complained finally getting him off her back, a sudden sensation of Déjà vu flashed through her mind "Wait…can you repeat that?"

"That freakish babe is trying to kill me…!"

"Not that! The other phrase from before…!" the queen demanded impatiently.

"I beg you, please Marcy be brave for me…!" he repeated as he climbed over her once again."

"Hey! I will gladly take that burden from your shoulders, if you let me!" Huntress Wizard shouted from below.

Marceline floated downward still carrying the old king on her back and crossed her arms "I don't even know why I'm going to say what I'm about say but… No thanks."

"Huh?!" the Ice King gasped in surprise letting go of her.

"That guy owes me a fight! So step aside!" the forest dweller demanded menacingly.

"You really think that this old-timer will give you some sort of challenge?" Marceline glimpsed a thoughtful look on the female wizard's face "If you're really looking for some real challenge then you should face someone like me!"

"Hehe…" Huntress Wizard chuckled as she crossed her arms "You lost against a slug."

The vampire slapped her forehead "Again?! Quit it will ya!" she growled angrily "I lost because of the stupid restrictions, okay?!"

"So you wanna switch places with the Ice King? That's okay with me, all I want is to try my strength in a real battle."

"Leave the old-timer alone and I'll fight with you, but first you gotta let me rescue my friends." Marceline declared passively.

Huntress Wizard sighed and walked towards a tree, she rested her back on its trunk and slid her body down crossing her legs and folded her arms on her chest "We've got a deal, I'll patiently wait for you here."

"Cool." The queen replied raising her thumb, she turned her head back to the greyish sky and leaped upwards "Now you owe me a favor, Ice King!"

"R-right but…where are you going?"

"Into the storm." Marceline smiled confidently as she adjusted her bass' strap on her shoulder "Hehe, see ya later! Old-timer."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And so begins the conclusive arc of this fic, was it a little too dramatic? I can't really tell.

Now we've got Marceline in the front lines following Finn and Flame Princess while they are heading recklessly towards a deadly enemy. What will come out of this...? The answer is only eight days away from today!

Thanks everyone for your constant support, see you next week! :D


	42. Walking with a Broken Heart as Compass!

_Tale 42:_ Walking with a Broken Heart as Compass!

The last thing she felt before everything around her was covered with darkness was an intense sensation of cold rushing through her bones. Strangely, all she could feel now was an odd but pleasant warmth covering her wet skin and clothes. Her eyelids went back revealing a pair of ruby irises; a rocky ceiling welcomed her back to the real world as she leaned over.

A weird scent invaded her small round nose causing it to twitch slightly "Ugh…smells like burnt garbage in here…" she murmured while her fingers brushed that forever annoying lock of black hair behind her pointy ear.

"I'm sorry, that's exactly while you're smelling…uh, all my wood is wet so, I had to burn some trash to keep you warm…!" someone's voice replied as he walked into the cave where she had just awakened.

Powerful gales and thunders were still trashing outside, it wasn't hard to notice that when Marceline followed the sound of that voice towards the cavern's entrance and met a hooded guy who was shuddering and chattering because of the cold.

"You!" the vampire growled leaping over him, pure instinct in her reaction "I know your voice and I know who are you! What the hell are you doing here?!" she demanded not even trying to suppress the sudden burst of wrath inside her.

A quick movement of her sharp claws ripped off the stranger's hood, a young man with greyish skin and three long wisps of white hair resting on his forehead and shoulders was unveiled before her. Upon discovering the face of her ex-boyfriend, Marceline felt the anger rising up again and didn't hesitate in using her claws once more.

"Wah! Hold on, please!" the undead wizard begged as he managed to stop the blow before it reached him "Your arm! You're hurt!"

Marceline felt a sting on the upper part of her arm, her eyes drifted softly towards her shoulder noticing that her wound had been carefully bandaged. Unfortunately her offensive strikes had opened the injury causing some blood to crawl out of her veins and stain the white of her bandage.

The Vampire Queen backed away letting her muscles relax, her memories were blurry, but she was able to remember the storm and the wild gusts dragging her down. She must have crashed in some island, hurting herself in the process.

"Listen, I don't care if you were the one who brought me in here, saved me or whatever…" Marceline said as she faced him with a glare "You're probably the biggest jerk on Earth and I won't trust you, no matter how b-…" her words trailed off momentarily, something in Ash's face was different. A painful-looking scar was marked across his left eye, almost reaching his nose as well "W-what the plum happened to your face?!"

"Oh, this." Ash grinned childishly while his fingers ran across the scar "It's a long story, one I need you to hear."

"Yeah, right…" the vampire replied sarcastically "Do you really think I would listen to you? Hehe, that's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. Anyway, I'm getting myself outta here before you try to do something stupid like the last time we met."

Marceline strode away from the undead wizard surprised that he hadn't tried to stop her, even more surprising was the fact that Ash had left her axe-bass near her improvised bed –If she would've wanted to, the vampire could have easily reached out for her weapon and slash off his head– making her wonder if Ash had became more stupid than he already was or if he was just acting overconfidently.

"It looks like you're eager to leave this place, but haven't you considered that the storm might pull you down once again? Especially now that you're hurt…"

"Okay Ash, what are you playing at?!" Her index finger was now pointing him menacingly "I hope that you haven't forgotten everything you made us go through at the amusement park and the Underworld! Finn was killed and I almost lose my immortality at the hands of Death because of you, darn it!"

Ash's eyes went down, he walked away from her slowly and sighed in regret "I know I've done many stupid things in my un-life… and I know that you'll never forgive me, but to tell the truth, this time I wasn't looking for you." He stared back at her and chuckled "I just stumbled with your unconscious body this morning and brought you here. You can go if you want, I was just worried about you Marceline."

"I told you not to call me like tha-! …Wait did you say Marceline?!"

"Yeah, that's your name." the punk replied calmly "You told me not use the nickname 'Mar-Mar' on you after you got me inside that old shack… do you remember the knife storm and all that junk that happened-…?"

"…Before you betrayed me again and left us with a freak that switched our bodies? How could someone forget something like that?" Marceline interjected skeptically.

The undead wizard frowned and scratched the back of his head anxiously "You know, at the Underworld…when the human mortal was killed…I-I never thought that something like that could happen, and I never wanted it to happen…" he stared back at the ground sighing weakly "I was scared…"

The Vampire Queen crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know I'm a jerk…but that heck of a journey down at the Underworld changed me, Marceline! I swear! This time I'm telling you the truth…!" Ash reached out for a small ragged bag under his dirty robe and showed it to her proudly "Look Marceline, look what I got! T-this, this is for you…!"

"If the money I asked you for isn't in that bag, then I'm not interested in receiving anything from you! That includes your concern and your pity!" Marceline swung her bass over her shoulder while she stormed outside "Out of my way! Sick freak…"

She pushed him away and stepped out, the rain fell over mercilessly with such amount of strength that it even felt painful. The vampire rubbed her hurt arm turning back to the cave where her ex-boyfriend was watching her fearfully.

"You know what?" Marceline muttered as she made her way back inside, water streaming down her long hair and clothes "On second thought… I'll wait until the storm diminishes a little, but I don't want you around me!"

Ash smiled seeming grateful about her taking the safest decision, "Okay, I'll stay outside. I deserve it anyway." He offered her the ragged bag again "But please hold this, at least until the rain stops. I'd…hate if it gets wet…"

"You'd hate if it gets wet?" Marceline sneered, "Then I should throw it outside, shouldn't I?"

The undead wizard's features became dull, no matter how hard he tried; the Vampire Queen's sympathy was an impossible privilege to retrieve. Maybe if he had taken care of it while he had it in his hands…

"Listen, I don't know where were you heading to, but if you wanna leave this island, you'll need my magic's help. I've been trapped in here for weeks, this island seems to be cursed by… who knows what!"

"And so the truth is revealed…!" the vampire exclaimed extending her arms "You didn't rescue me 'cause you cared for me or something! You rescued me 'cause you needed my help to leave this stupid island!" she advanced poking his chest insistently, which caused him to back away simultaneously "So what's in this bag? Your miserable Cherry Blossom wand, huh?!"

"Yeah, okay!" Ash admitted tiredly "You're right, I need you to get out of this place! That's why I'm giving you my wand –Now just…take it!" the undead wizard pushed the bag into Marceline's hands and muttered quietly before he abandoned the cave "or at least its equivalence…Look for me when the storm lessens, the wand will help you, but it needs my body's magic juice to work…"

"So I can't get rid of you either, huh?" Marceline crossed her arms while she walked away form her ex-boyfriend "Well, if that's the way things are…I guess I'll have to work with you…stay close, but not inside my cave."

"Y-your cave?!" Ash gulped skeptically as he remembered all the troubles he had to endure in order to be able to use that cave as a shelter "What do you mean 'your cave'? Y-you just woke up inside it!"

"I don't see your name anywhere…" she grinned.

"Well I don't see yours eith-…what are you doing?"

Marceline had swung her axe off her shoulder and was getting ready to make use of it. With two quick crossed slashes on the wall, her blade pierced through the cold rock engraving the letter "M" on it.

"M for Marceline…" she snickered "Now get out, c'mon get wet… you need it! 'Cause you know, you really smell like dog buns."

Ash sighed in exasperation and left the cave without complaining. He sat down under the rain feeling how the strength of the water pushed his shoulders down. There was a big leaf hanging from a strange tree, Ash ripped off its steam and used it as an umbrella while Marceline observed him from afar.

"Whatever…" the Vampire Queen murmured after she threw the old bag aside and proceeded to curl up next to the campfire that her ex-boyfriend had lit when she was unconscious "You can't make me pity you… I need to focus on finding Finn and Flame P. I just hope they are still alive..."

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn's body bounced four times before it finally hit the sand getting his head stuck inside it. After yanking his face out and coughing all the salty dust he had sucked due to their emergency landing, his ears perceived the sound of another crash not very far from where he was.

"Flame Princess!" the boy yelled once the cold touch of the ragging rain needled his skin.

Her body was lying just a few inches away from him; Finn quickly pulled her up and dragged her towards a conveniently placed rock formation –which was barely a shelter, but it offered them enough protection against the rain. However, the cold and the wind were still a problem.

The young hero watched in anguish how the fiery princess writhed in pain after he laid her on the sand. Grey marks were slowly crawling along her arms, neck and chest, as the rest of her golden body glow seemed to tarnish because of the water still moistening her.

"H-hey… F-Flame Princess…" Finn mumbled anxiously while he scooped her up in his arms.

"Agh…don't worry." The princess muttered as she fought to repress the unbearable stings in her body "I'll be fine, we made it in time. It's just… the rain was cold as ice…" she gritted her teeth and hissed "It hurts like… a lot, but it isn't going to kill me…"

"_**You see master? I told you that she was going to be fine…"**_ his sword whispered.

"_Whatever, how the junk did I end up listening to you?! I didn't want her to risk her life like this!" _Finn replied mentally, knowing that the demon was able to listen to his thoughts _"She's suffering man, and that wasn't supposed to happen!"_

"_**Some times we have to make small sacrifices to get what we want…"**_

"_Yeah? Well-…!"_

"Finn?" Flame Princess' voice interrupted his argument "Finn, I'm okay, really…you don't have to look so distressed."

The boy stared down at her feeling relieved to see her smile and gladly helped her sit next to him. The storm kept raging outside, sometimes carrying the rain into their feeble refuge due to its freezing gusts.

Finn swung his backpack off his shoulders along with the Blood Demon sword and placed them aside, his eyes rested on the crimson blade for a while. The human boy was unable to ignore that small internal voice, which always used to alert him when he had made a terrible mistake.

How could he have abandoned his friends on Guru Island? How could he have left them behind without even telling Jake a thing? How could he have dared to drag Flame Princess into a storm knowing how dangerous it was for her and for him as well?

"Hey, you somewhat look cold Finn…" came the princess' worried voice.

Finn glanced back at her, an uncontrollable urge to embrace her bursting inside him. He pulled her body close feeling how she instantly searched to nestle up to his chest and buried her face in the crook of his neck, her arms asking him to lean against her. That was when the boy realized that his teeth were chattering involuntarily.

"Yeah, I guess I'm cold…" he whispered silently.

Then came a pleasant sensation of warmth out of nowhere, it engulfed his body drying his wet clothes, hair and skin. Finn looked down at the girl in his arms and noticed that she was glowing dimly; that heat was coming from her body.

"How are you feeling now?" Flame Princess asked in the same way.

"B-better…I think…" Finn mumbled shyly wondering how was it possible that neither one of them was still used to each other's touch. Why was it that their cheeks always flushed when they were together? "I didn't know you could do this…"

"I didn't know either… I thought that my flames were going to burn you if I let them out, but I wanted to see if I could use them to warm us both a little…"

The young hero tightened his grip on her "Thanks, sorry I made you fly with the storm coming so close behind us… I should've let you land on a nearby island before it reached us…" he gulped in remorse "Just like you said… I don't know what's wrong with me…"

"Nothing is wrong with you, we are all scared because of this situation… the Lich and everything… if Bubblegum needed us to retrieve the secret of the cosmic weapons' seal, then what else could you have done?"

Finn cuddled closer against her letting his fingertips stroke her arm's exposed skin gently, and continued wondering. How could he have done this to her? How could he have lied to Flame Princess so patently? "I could have…done something else…" the boy replied consumed by regret.

"Nonsense, Finn…" he heard her giggle "If you could have done something to avoid the storm, then you would have done it right away. I know you Finn; you'd never endanger anyone's life… that's why I have faith in you…"

Those words stabbed his already wounded heart; she was still unaware of her fate, unaware of her friends' betrayal, unaware of his lie… yet, somehow Flame Princess dared to believe in him. What made her feel so sure about his true intentions?

Was it because of her faith in him? How was faith different than trust?

"_**We have already discussed this, master…"**_ the Blood Demon's voice invaded his mind **"**_**Relying blindly in other people is for the weak, and faith is based on a confidence that demands no proof! I on the other side have proved my loyalty to you!"**_

Finn remained silent; all of a sudden the demon's voice had become annoying. It was interrupting his moments of peace with his girlfriend; the smooth up and down motion of her breathing caressing his rib cage was all he wanted to feel, not the insistency of the demon's growls pressing his brain.

"_Shut up man… Let me be…" the_ boy muttered mentally.

"_**Careful master…"**_ the Blood Demon mustered to himself, this time his words were not for Finn to hear _**"If the girl represents an obstacle to my desires, I'll have to get rid of her as well…"**_

**x+x+x+x+x**

Marceline's eyes were popped open, for some reason she wasn't able to sleep anymore though her tired body was asking her for it. She spotted Ash's bag lying close to her feet, a quick kick pushed it away from it.

Her undesirable ex-boyfriend was still outside trying to cover himself from the rain with a leaf. It was a pathetic sight indeed, but somehow pitiful at the same time. The Vampire Queen turned her gaze towards the fire cursing unperceptively. Her feelings were betraying her; a faint glimmer of compassion toward the undead punk had showed up within her.

"It's Finn's fault, everything is Finn's fault…!" she grumbled while she tried to curl up once again against the cave's wall "I've hanged out too much with him and other do-gooders such as Princess Bonnibel and Mr. Froggy the hero… How can I feel pity for a jerk like Ash?! Darn it!"

"Achoo…!" He sneezed in the distance.

The Vampire Queen rolled her eyes in resignation, she floated towards the entrance; then folded her arms and shouted so that her voice wasn't drowned by the sound of the rain "Hey, dumbutt! Get inside here before you die and you let me trapped in this island!"

"M-Marceline?!" Ash threw his leaf in astonishment "Are you really going to let me-?!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" she replied "Just get your butt inside the cave before I change my mind!"

"Yippee! Thanks Marceline, I will never forget this!"

"Stop kissing my feet, that's pathetic!"

A bunch of silent hours of awkwardness passed them by, Marceline didn't know how many, she just knew that they were a lot. In fact she wasn't really interested in counting the time, all she could think about were Finn and Flame Princess. The vampire needed desperately to find them; she needed to know if they were still alive, she needed to know they were safe…

Many irritable emotions filled her un-beating heart with each lighting that flashed through the clouds; guilt, regret, concern and anger. Why in the world did she have to let her coldness shield her real feelings? Was it because of the damned sense of pride that she had inherited from her father?

Marceline reached out for her knees and brought them to her chest, she knew better than anyone that Flame Princess' condition was going hurt Finn somehow… If only she had done something to comfort him instead of acting like the freaking gangster she once was back there at the Underworld.

"Damn it Finn, where are you?"

"You're looking for the human boy again?" Ash inquired curiously.

The pale girl sent him a glare "What is it to you?!"

"Uh…" the undead wizard gulped nervously "I was just asking 'cause I'm worried about him…"

"Yeah? And I'll get a fabulous tan one beautiful sunny day at the beach…!"

The young wizard punk laughed covering his mouth "I'm sorry, it's just… I was missing your sarcasm… a lot." his black eyes drifted down as he sighed in sadness "That brat saved my dead butt at the Underworld, then I realized that… If a weak human mortal was capable of taming the Hellhound, Kerberus, then my life as it was back then was worth nothing…"

"It's really hard for me to believe you…" Marceline declared sternly "I don't understand why you're acting as if you truly cared about me or my friends, but in the past you never showed it. On the contrary, you hit me where it hurt the most…" some tears of rage clouded her eyes "You betrayed my confidence, Ash… I used to trust you and you… You just broke my heart and then tricked my friends to fool me!"

"You'll never forgive me…" Ash replied while he stared down.

"No, I won't… Usually I'd just get rid of the ones who dare to toy with me, but I have learned some lessons throughout this journey." The queen fixed her watery eyes on him "Guess you're right, Finn saved your life." She used her forearm to dry her tears as she got up on her feet "I don't care about the storm anymore, take your bag and help me leave this island. I need to find my friends."

Ash kept his mouth shut, deep within he knew that Marceline was right. He grabbed his old raggedy bag from the dirt and cleaned it delicately before he placed it on his shoulder. Then he covered it with his filthy robe, ready to follow a radical dame towards the end of the world if he needed to.

They flew upwards in an attempt to leave the mysterious island through the heights, but as the undead wizard had warned, it was impossible because of the wind and the ragging thunders. Marceline fought against the elements stubbornly until Ash forced her to land and rest, the bandage on her arm was now drenched in her blood.

She couldn't bear the idea of losing the human weenie who had dared to face her two years ago after she tried to kill his brother and kicked them out of their home. Since that day Marceline knew that Finn was special, not only because he was probably the last human on Earth. That twelve year-old kiddo had something she had always longed for, courage.

"Hey…" her pointy ears twitched slightly at the sound of Ash's voice "Have you noticed that the wind blows only from east to west?"

"East to west?" the Vampire Queen mustered exhaustedly while she rested on the muddy grass "That means nothing to me!"

"Marceline, if we advance towards the east we may find out what's hindering our way out of this place!" her ex-boyfriend insisted anxiously "Don't you wanna rescue your friends? C'mon, get up!"

Ash grabbed her undamaged arm, helping her to stand up and encouraged her to fly against the powerful drifts. Their arduous flight took them to an empty barren area; everything around them was just a solid granite surface, except for a giant grey stone that resembled a mountain because of its shape and height.

"There's nothing here…" Marceline muttered "Just rocks and that frigging mountain!"

"Weird…" the young wizard whispered, "I thought I was right this time…"

"When have you ever been right, fool?" his vampire companion was deeply bothered, her anger was almost tangible, but he was not giving up.

"Marceline I-…" a powerful gust was expelled out of the mountain blowing the two undead humanoids into the air as if they were nothing but withered leaves.

Marceline and Ash's bodies struck the ground; the vibration of the impact was still resonating through their bones while they tried to stand up again. The Vampire Queen reached out for her head, the painful pulses on her skull were driving her mad.

"I don't know you," she declared while she unstrapped her axe-bass "But I have a hunch that the mountain tried to kill us…"

"The…mountain?" her ex-boyfriend replied skeptically "How come…?"

"I don't know, but I'm not planning to wait until it decides to show us its true colors…!"

Marceline leaped into the air ready to charge at full speed towards the immense stone before her, she waved her blade using all the strength she could summon and struck the rock's crest. Once the axe was removed, a fissure appeared on the mountain's surface quickly branching itself all over it. A deep crack was heard; the mountain's surface was broken as if it was an eggshell and something fierce was awakened inside it.

The Vampire Queen's senses didn't fail in announcing her of the incoming danger and she quickly flew away from the massive creature that was looming over her.

"What the heck's that?!" Marceline demanded as soon as she reached Ash's side.

"I-I think I've seen that thing in a wizardry book, it-it must be Galewhale…!"

"And what the hell is a freaking whale doing out of the ocean?!"

"I don't know!" the undead wizard replied with Marceline's same exasperation "Do I look like the whale's mother?! That thing is obviously not a normal whale, I-I think I read something about them… They like to start thunderstorms, but they hate to end them!"

The wind and rain falling over them grew stronger as the rock-like mammal drifted into the stormy skies. Marceline covered her eyes to get a better view of the situation and asked, "So, that thing is not only keeping us trapped here? That thing is the storm that has been raging over us this whole time, right?"

"I…think so…" Came Ash's unsure answer.

"Perfect, how do I kill it?"

"Ma-Marceline!" her ex-boyfriend gasped in astonishment "You can't kill that thing! That's crazy, it would be like fighting against nature itself!"

"Really?" Marceline whispered confidently "Luckily for me, I'm not the first one trying to defy nature!" she smirked "I've seen it been defeated. I know it can be done, so help me fight that thing as you promised or stay in the ground and die, I don't really care!"

"Damn it Marceline, of course I'm coming with you!" Ash yelled back in frustration casting his flying spell to follow her into the violent skies.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn pulled away gently from Flame Princess' lips gasping for air, he caught her panting as well, her cheeks reddened at that instant. If their situation wasn't that bad, he would've been able to say they had shared the best kiss of their lives. Unfortunately, the remorse that followed each stroke of her hand in his hair, each quiet moan… each sweet bump of their noses while they searched for each other's lips blindly was unbearable.

For how long was he going to be able to keep up like that? Finn didn't know…

"Why isn't the rain ceasing?" the flaring princess wondered out loud, she had sat down like a small girl watching the rain plunging upon them in consternation. "We won't be able to find that seal's secret thing like this… Maybe you should go without me and I'll catch up with you later when the storm diminishes."

"Leaving you alone in the middle of this tempest? There's no way I'm doing that!" the young hero dragged himself to her side and surrounded her body with his arms "I'll stay with you, I have to protect you while I can…"

"You're talking like if I was going to die or something." The princess giggled embracing him as well "Don't worry Finn, I'll be fine. Everything will be fine in the end."

The boy felt like crumbling down right there, the truth was that nothing was going to end up fine for both of them. Finn cursed his tear ducts mentally as he rested his chin on Flame Princess' shoulder, his tears were slowly trying to slip out of them but he couldn't let that happen. Not because he was ashamed of letting Flame P realize that he was crying, but because those tears would hurt her if they reached her golden skin.

"Yeah, everything will be fine…" Finn managed to muster "We'll go back home when the fight's over, back to the crazy adventures and the fun…" he pulled Flame P closer "Perhaps…i-if you want to, you can come to the Grasslands and live with Jake and me… I'd build you a nice house, well, maybe it won't be a castle but…"

"I'd love that, Finn…" the fire elemental replied gratefully as she drifted into sleep "I won't go back to my father, I'd never will…! Promise me, you'll build that house… no, promise me we'll do it together."

The young hero pulled his hat back on his head as he leaned in to kiss her neck tenderly "I promise we'll do it together." He whispered softly, causing her to blush.

"You know, there's something that I still don't understand…" a sudden spark of curiosity aroused in the young princess while she stared at the rain.

"What is it?"

"I'm not complaining, but… if Princess Bubblegum is able to predict a storm by just looking at the sky and she needed to send someone here, then why didn't she ask Marceline to join you instead of me? I'm sure this would have been a lot easier for her."

"_**Hehe, look at the faith of your princess, master… she's doubting, suspecting…"**_

"Bubblegum, Marceline…? Why are you so confident of their skills?" Finn muttered influenced by the demon's power "Bubblegum makes mistakes just like everybody else and Marceline's abilities are not always the solution for everything, you know!"

Flame Princess broke away from his embrace, an astonished look seizing her face. The human boy immediately missed the warmth and the sweet feelings that her arms provided, but kept those thoughts to himself "F-Finn? What do you mean by that? I was just-…"

"Listen, it was nothing. Just forget about it, okay?" he demanded wishing that Flame P would return to his side again. She didn't.

"What's wrong, Finn?" the princess inquired with concern "You haven't been acting like yourself since I met you this afternoon at Guru Island… are you sure that Princess Bubblegum-…?"

"Princess Bubblegum? Drop it now, will you?!" Finn yelled bitterly, a red glow had surrounded his eyes, but Flame Princess was unable to notice it "You can't always trust in everything she says! You can't trust her or Marceline, you can't trust anyone!"

"Please tell me what's going on, Finn!" the fire elemental demanded anxiously trying to hold Finn's arms "Did something happen between the three of you? Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding, I know that Marceline-…!"

"Marceline?! Misunderstanding?!" the young hero freed himself from her grip and pushed her back with an angry manner "How can you be so naïve?!" he yelled as he got up on his feet "You believe everything that people tells you, don't you?!"

The flaring girl stared back at him, stunned by his sudden and unusual mood swing "Finn…I…"

"Did you really believe that you father locked you in that lantern to protect you? Do you really think that Marceline is your best friend or something? You think she cares for you?"

She slowly raised up to face him, "What do mean? Stop it, now! You're scaring me!"

"You think that Bubblegum missed her target when she fired that paralyzing dart at you in the ocean? Do you really believe that she sent us to this island?! Well, she didn't! I brought you here! I lied, okay?! Everyone has lied to you!"

"No…" nothing but disconcertment was reflected on Flame Princess' face as she backed away from Finn in fear, hot lava tears gathering in her eyes. She felt lost and confused; the human's arms were her only haven, the place where she would always find comfort during times of distress… Where would she find it when Finn was the source of her despair?

"Wake up, Princess! And welcome to the outside world, where even the ones you love betray you…" he whispered the last sentence feeling how all his strength left his body.

"What the heck are you doing, Finn?" his girlfriend questioned sorrowfully "You can't be serious!"

"I am serious! You don't wanna believe me? Even after you said that you had faith in me?!"

"Finn I-…I still believe in you, and I always will but I…" she clenched her eyes causing her tears to stream down her face "This isn't you! Something bad happened to you, isn't that right? Listen I know how you must be feeling but-…"

"Stop saying you 'I know how you feel'!" Finn shouted shutting his cascading eyes as well, his awareness of her elemental matrix's condition was burning his insides "How can anyone know how others feel?"

She glanced down at the ground in disappointment "You are right… How can I know how you feel, if you don't tell me? Please tell me Finn, I'll do my best to help you!"

"It's useless Princess…" he said as he shook his head "Give up! Forget everything I once told you…! I can't… _**I can't keep loving you…"**_ the demon spoke through his lips.

"So that's it?" Flame Princess chuckled bitterly "You'll just dump me after all we've been through? That's not the Finn I know…"

"Perhaps the Finn you knew was also a lie…" the boy before her whispered grimly "Perhaps each time I said that I loved you was a lie, perhaps I was just using you…"

"Then what are you still doing here?!" she sobbed while her feet carried her closer to him "Why don't you just disappear?! WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!?" she screamed as her hand turned his face away with an enraged slap.

Her hand print remained on his cheek burning him with a familiar pain that Finn longed to embrace. It had happened just like the first time he met her, but the cursed devil inside him wasn't going to allow him to say another word. The Blood Demon had sensed that Flame Princess was also a threat to his twisted plans and used their love against them; she wasn't going to forgive Finn ever again.

The pain in the boy's heart was delicious; it'd nourish his strength while the human was weakened by sorrow and hate… Soon he would be able to retrieve his blood and break free from his prison in the crimson sword.

"You made a mistake in believing everything I said to you…" the demon's living puppet mustered while he picked up his green backpack and the sword "You were never able to see the truth because you were blinded by faith…"

And so Finn left her behind walking into the heavy rain, unaware that someone had placed words in his mouth and false thoughts in his brain. Inside his spirit was crying desperately in attempt to call him back to reality, back to the grieving princess behind him.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Her body was hit by the torturing power of the thunder for the third time, the cold water soaking her skin and clothes just worsened the effect of the electric charge that burned and stunned her entire being.

Marceline collapsed on the ground gritting her teeth as some aftershocks ran through her nerves, she hated to admit it, but Ash was right. Trying to stand against the power of nature was insane, thank Glob she was also insane, otherwise she would be have been ruling the Nightosphere as her father wanted a long time ago.

With a weak chuckle and some effort her fingers managed to reach the cold steel headstock of her bass, she dragged it along the mud and held it close to her chest. Somehow her beloved weapon was able to give her a comfortable sensation of security whenever she felt it near.

Using her axe-bass' support, the Vampire Queen pulled herself up once again. Her ruby eyes searched instinctively for the undead wizard punk who was supposed to be helping her beat the Galewhale. Marceline heard herself giggling in resignation; Ash was gone. Why didn't it surprise her?

"C'mon you, big air fish!" She shouted while her feet stumbled forward "We are not…finished…yet! Show me what you've got, stupid cetacean!" Her eyes spotted the giant rock mammal plunging towards her in the distance "That's what I wanted to se-humph…!"

The creature caught her with its maw and took her back into the air, with a sudden movement of its head the whale tossed Marceline's body upwards.

"Ah great…" she mustered weakly when she realized that the Galewhale's tail was waiting for her as she fell down, her head heading down followed by her unresponsive legs. "I wish I were the coward I used to be in the Underworld…at least…I would be safe like that filthy rat…Ash…"

A swing from the mammal's tail struck her exhausted muscles sending her up once again but in an opposite direction "Oh…I get it now…" Marceline muttered wishing she had enough energy to fly away "I'm your new toy…aren't I?"

The whale's large cranium smashed her higher back to the other side where its wobbling tail waited to smack her towards the mammal's head once again, so it could repeat the process of using the Vampire Queen as beach ball.

The tail knocked Marceline's body towards the Galewhale's upper body just as she had predicted it. The vampire closed her eyes fighting to focus in a plan to escape from that everlasting loop of headbutts and tail smashes, she still had her axe in her grasp, that must give her a chance, shouldn't it?

Marceline opened her eyes to find herself plunging helplessly towards the whale's skull "Heh…" she chuckled not feeling very sure of what she was doing "Not this time fishy…!"

Marceline took advantage of her gained momentum and used it to charge against the enormous mammal with her blade ready to pierce its cranium. A surprised flinch from the animal gave her a boost of confidence, her axe slashed through the… rock?

"Damn it!" the Vampire Queen cursed with anger, she had forgotten that she wasn't fighting a normal whale. Its skin was solid granite just like the environment around her. The sharpness of her blade wasn't going to hurt it at all; instead, Marceline found herself hanging from her beloved instrument –which was stuck in the whale's forehead– a few inches away from the mammal's rancid breath.

"Uh…how you doing?" the black-haired girl asked not knowing what else to do.

The Galewhale frowned sternly, that wasn't obviously good news for our vampire friend in question. Marceline noticed anxiously that her foe's mouth was now wide open, gesturing that he was planning to devour her.

Marceline sullenly rolled her eyes; she couldn't believe that she was going to spend the rest of eternity trapped inside a fish. Although it was impossible for her to die, some funny memories flashed through her mind as the whale balanced her back and forth to swallow her body.

"_Listen I'm not interested in your giant fishes kid, all wanted was to borrow a hat or an umbrella so I can leave this place under the stupid sunlight." _

_An eight year-old Princess Bubblegum swelled her cheeks in annoyance while she crossed her short arms in disapproval "Whales are not fishes, Marceline! They are mammals!" the young girl grabbed a heavy biology book and pointed a paragraph "'__Whales are large, intelligent, aquatic mammals. They breathe air through a blowhole into their lungs –unlike fish that breathe using gills.' You see Marceline? It'll do you good to learn different things from time to time; you never know when it might come in handy!"_

_There was no response from the Vampire Queen._

"_Marceline?" Bubblegum placed her book down, instantly noticing a snoring vampire floating comfortably above her "Marceline!"_

"Heh… who could bring me back to those times…?" Marceline longed in the verge of accepting her imposed fate "Wait a second! Lungs? Blowhole? This fis-…ahem mammal, must have soft internal organs! I should be able to kill it from the inside!" she turned her head towards the clouded sky and grinned with gratitude "Oh thanks Bonnibel, thanks for being a total brainlord and bore me to death with your lectures!"

Without thinking too much about it, Marceline quickly swung her body into the whale's mouth managing to yank her axe-bass in the process. She drifted into the cetaceous throat ignoring the disgusting smell and the sticky fluids that were now covering her silky black hair and lost herself within the Galewhale's guts.

Time seemed to pass by slowly as the whale drifted aimlessly around the thunderstorm that he had created. All of a sudden his flippers stopped their swimming movement and his tail stopped it wobbling, the Galewhale stood frozen in a strange trance while the wind and the rain raged over the island.

A booming roar cut through the silence, the mammal's body shuddered stiffly followed by another tremendous roar of pain. The whale swam wildly across the clouds, letting its own body be struck by lightning until he finally released a powerful gust through his blowhole, all his air abandoning his body.

"Yaaahooo…!" came a victorious cry from a blurry figure, which was plunging from the heavens at high speed.

Marceline's body was buried into the solid ground, uncountable waves of pain striking her battered body. None of that seemed to bother her though, a pleasant smile was curved in her lips as her consciousness slipped away.

"Marceline!" A desperate voice cried "GET OUT OF THERE!" she wasn't able to tell who that was or what was going on, her senses were still too weak.

"MARCELINE!"

Everything happened in a blur, Marceline felt that someone had scooped her body out of the ground and tossed her aside before a deafening rumble hit the earth.

"W-what…what happened?" the Vampire Queen mustered dryly while her vision cleared itself slowly.

The Galewhale's lifeless body had crashed against the ground. Marceline instantly realized that she could have been crushed by that enormous stone bulk if it wasn't for…

"Ash!" she didn't know how her legs had found the strength to sprint her towards the undead wizard's side.

His lower body was trapped under the whale's massive weight, while his chest, his head and his arms remained free. The dirty ragged bag he had been carrying since she met him in the island was being clutched within his arms as if his life depended on it.

"Ash, you idiot!" Marceline yelled once she had crouched by his side, mixed feelings choking her dead heart "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't ran away from the battle like the coward you are!"

"I…I'm sorry…Marceline, I didn't mean to…leave you alone…" he laughed a little bit trying to bare the pain "The gusts had…blown my bag away…I-I had to retrieve it…"

"Yeah, right." Marceline replied angrily "It seems that your stupid wand is even more valuable than I thought!" she turned her head away "Now what? You think that saving me from being crushed by that whale is going to mend your mistakes?!"

"No…" Ash answered calmly "I just wanted you to… to get out of this cursed place… your friends are waiting for you, aren't they?" He stretched his arm offering her his bag "I…I also wanted to see your face when you opened this…"

"This? You said that your wand was in here, why is that going to-?" She felt a lump in her throat "You…you must be kidding…" there was astonishment in her voice.

"It is virtually impossible for me to get you the money that I promised you, but at least I could…do something about the other part of…of my promise…" Ash handed the bag to Marceline and then proceeded to point the scar on his face "You know? I swear that witch had the strength of a bear, hehe…"

Marceline's face turned even paler than it already was as she unzipped the bag and rummaged desperately inside it. Suddenly her hands lost their strength and dropped the bag onto the ground.

Ash flicked his finger so that his magic would engulf the bag and pull out its precious content "Marcewine…! I missed you Marcewine…!" her ex-boyfriend whispered imitating a funny voice while his magic kept an old long-limbed bear afloat before the Vampire Queen's disconcerted face.

"H-Hambo…" Marceline stammered quickly lunging over the doll, she embraced it finally letting her grateful tears soak her cheeks.

* * *

**Author Note's:**

I wonder how much I'm putting at risk by turning Ash into a good guy... Am I the first one who has done this?

Well, never mind, I know you all have probably noticed that this arc started in a rather intense way. It's normal, I suppose, after all the story has to reach its climax in order to descend towards its ending...I think... please excuse my pointless rant.

As always I appreciate your support a lot guys, you can't even imagine how much I do. I hope this chapter wasn't disappointing in anyway :)

I'll see you next week with more!


	43. Amidst Falling Rain!

_Tale 43:_ Amidst Falling Rain!

The Root sword's blade slashed the air intending to scare away the incoming swarm of zombies, which once was the joyous population of Guru Island. Dusk had finally arrived and along with it, the deadly mist, probably expelled by the Lich's rotten breath.

Princess Bubblegum had to leave behind her scientific garment, the books and the pencils to replace them with her blue jeans, pink shirt, and sword in order to defend those who were still alive…those who her serum had been able to save…

As she ran through the wreckage –only protected by the power of her crown's gem– Bubblegum wondered how did everything reach that anguishing point of no return. Apparently, while she and Dr. Princess worked together on the formula, their supposedly ultra developed brains skipped an important step at some point of the serum's elaboration, causing it to be only effective on a certain kind of races.

"Darn it…" the princess muttered in anger, she was feeling tired and sick of everything. If only she could just give up and forget it all… "No!" Bonnibel shouted, her fingers clenching the hilt of her sword "I'm not the kind of person who gives up that easily! I promised my subjects that I'd do everything to keep them safe!" she raised her head up and faced the rainy heavens "I'm not giving up! Did ya hear me, Lich?! When the right time comes, I'll stab my sword in your putrid chest… Just wait!"

"Ugh…! Flesssh…!" the grim groans of the undead were drawing closer. Princess Bubblegum swung her sword down and waited for them in silence.

The walking corpses lunged over her; she quickly used the sharpness of her blade to free her body from their clutches. Familiar faces rolled down at her feet, what had she done to deserve this?

"Princess…!" Billy approached her carrying sword in hand, just like her "Are you all right?"

"It depends on what you consider as 'all right'…" Bubblegum replied with a nervous chuckle "'Cause physically, I'm perfectly right…."

"Heh…I understand what you mean…" the giant whispered while his green eyes analyzed the area "There's nothing or no one else to save in here, we must go back to the others. They need us."

Princess Bubblegum nodded in resignation "Okay…"

The hero and the princess rushed back towards Doctor Princess' lab, it was hard to believe that in matter of hours her peaceful home had turned into a wrecked bunker-like shelter. Inside, the rest of the heroes-to-be were doing everything they could to keep the zombies away from the survivors. Blocking every possible entrance was of course the procedure taken by the experimented Jake, since dealing with famished zombie hordes wasn't something new for him. His paws nailed planks, Dr. Princess' broken furniture and pretty much everything on his reach to obstruct the windows.

His sensitive ears perceived the sound of exploding glass somewhere behind him, Jake quickly whipped around with a puny hammer on his paw ready to be used as weapon. His eyes widened in horror. A massive fist had broken through the barricade. The magical dog gulped in fear at the approaching figure of his zombiefied wrestling hero, the Train.

"Oh Grod, no…!" Jake shivered covering his eyes. There was no way for him to defeat such a formidable fighter on his own; he needed help.

"Not hurt Jake!"

The dog peeked nervously through his fingers; his savior, the great-hearted Susan Strong had stopped the Train's attack with a tight lock. The muscled zombie groaned forcing his way out of the hyooman's mighty embrace and pushed her away, Susan somehow managed to avoid each struck from its rotten fists swiftly.

Her green eyes glimpsed an opening on the zombie's defensive and used it as an opportunity to strike him with a powerful headbutt. Jake gasped in amazement convincing himself that Susan was indeed a tough girl, for who would dare to attack an iron-headed man with that move?

A loud _clang!_ Reverberated throughout the room, as the hyooman stumbled back in a dizzy-looking manner. The Train collapsed unconsciously, indicating that her attack had been effective, but Susan looked like she was about to faint as well.

"Hold on, Suzie!" Jake's arm was wrapped around her, and stopped her fall "Are you okay?"

"Chickens are blue…on Mondays…" the cat-hatted girl replied dizzily.

"Well it could be worst…" the stretchy dog sighed helping her up "C'mon Susan, its not safe here…!" he glimpsed Doctor Princess' head popping out of her lab's door motioning them to hurry in.

Princess Bubblegum and Billy appeared just in time to follow Jake and Susan into the laboratory and then into a trap door, which was hidden beneath a black leather couch.

The small group jumped down into some kind of secret basement where the few survivors that they had managed to rescue awaited for them along with the Ice King, Party Pat, Donny, Abracadaniel and Huntress Wizard.

"Okay, we'll be safe here but not for long…" Doctor Princess said as she walked towards the center of the room "If everyone's finally here, then I guess its time for you to open the portal…"

"Well of course…!" a deep funny voice complained, "Glob, I was about to lumping open it without you guys anyway…!"

A weak smile lighted up Bonnibel's exhausted face when her eyes gazed a purple cloud-like girl pushing everyone out of her way "LSP…!" the princess chuckled in rejoice "I never thought I'll be so happy to see you…!"

The lumpy princess sent her an annoyed glare, which she quickly shifted into a wide smile "Oh Glob, you guys are going to kill me!" LSP cried while embracing Bubblegum "You are always making me worry like a lot, my big beautiful heart wasn't made to stand this kind of shocks and surprises, ya know?!"

"I'm sorry." The candy princess whispered not even knowing why was she apologizing, it wasn't like if she had any control of the situation.

"Sorry doesn't make up for the fact that Finn is lumping missing!" The Lumpy Space Princess moaned pushing Bubblegum away "Now let me open this portable portal, so we can all relax in the only zombie-free place I know, home…!"

LSP reached out for the star in her forehead and buried her fingers within it to pull out slowly the apparent "gem" inside it "Nnnnargh!" the purple cloud groaned finally yanking it out.

"Eww…! That thing is removable?!" the Ice King's disgusted screech echoed in the room "That just got you at the bottom of my least favorite princesses list…!"

"Lump up, freak! I'm trying to save a bunch of lives here!" LSP stuck the star prism on the ground "The password is; two thousand and twelve fail!" a lumpy portal farted in shortly after LSP conjured the spell "Okay everyone, get your butts inside the portal! Quick, c'mon!"

Lemongrab rushed in first, carrying Mrs. Yoder and her babies in his arms, he was followed by the other survivors and the lumpy princess who stopped her pace just before entering the portal to stare at the five remaining heroes-to-be.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up you guys!" The five didn't reply; they were focused on the cosmic radar, their faces displaying concern. "Hey, what's up?!"

"The signals are behaving in a strange way…" Princess Bubblegum answered, "The two signals that were traveling together…are now separated…one has moved away from the other."

"I thought those signals were Finn and Flame Princess, you know, since he took the ring and Flame P's always carrying her sapphire…" Jake replied in worry "Why would they walk apart from each other? Something bad must have happened to them!"

"Yeah, and it's not only that…" Bubblegum added, "A third one has been stuck in the same location for hours…it may be Marceline, I fear the storm may have forced her to remain on another island, not very far from where Finn and Flame Princess are…"

"I don't wanna sound pessimist, but if the Vampire Queen has been stuck in there for awhile like you said, then chances are that she's wounded or something worst…" Billy crossed his arms and stared at his teammates "It's possible that Marceline needs our help."

"We gotta reach that island like…right now!" the magical dog exclaimed, sweat drops rolling down his forehead "Guys?!"

His friend's gazes had froze upon the radar once again, "Th-there's…" the Ice King stuttered, "There's a fourth signal close to Finn and the Flame Princess!"

"Masked man…" Susan whispered grimly "Susan feels it…!"

"We can't leave towards the Lumpy Space Kingdom just yet…" Princess Bubblegum shoved the radar inside her pocket and gripped the hilt of the sword, which hanged from her hip "Our friends need us. We have to go outside, into the mist, hold ourselves aloof from the zombies and take one of the ships from the docks as fast as we can."

Lumpy Space Princess' eyes widened in horror "You guys will do what?! PB, hon, sorry but you're insane…! Just get in the lumping portal, now!" she stopped her yelling and noticed that the five heroes-to-be were too busy making their plan to reach the docks, ignoring her completely in the process.

"Don't worry Princess, cosmic weapons work just like the jewel in your crown when it comes to the Lich's mental control…" Billy's voice was overheard.

"Oh, really?" Bubblegum replied.

"Well, the Cosmic Gauntlet helped me lock the Lich in the Amber Prison, didn't it?"

"Hmmm…yeah, you're right…"

LSP sweat dropped while she stared at them in annoyance, "Is anybody even listening to me?!"

"LSP, you must go back home if you want to be safe…" Bonnibel said not really caring about her previous tantrum "We are going out."

"Woho, guys!" Huntress Wizard snickered, she was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed as usual "You put a single foot out there, and you'll be zombie nosh in no time… Believe me, those things have gathered around the building waiting for their chance to bite off our flesh."

"I-it doesn't matter!" Jake claimed with conviction, "Finn, Marcy and Flame P need us! And we'll kick all the zombie butts we need to, so we can reach them!"

"I'll go with you guys as well." Doctor Princess had prepared a small first-aid kit and was ready to join the gang, no matter how dangerous and risky her decision was "Without the Cyclops' tears you'll need all the medical help you can get, am I right?"

"We'll fight off them all…" Princess Bubblegum unsheathed her pink sword "Watch your step and run as fast as you can, if someone gets left behind we won't be able to go back for him."

"You should leave those walking corpses to me and focus on finding a ship, I don't really mind…"

"What's up with you being all 'miss good attitude' lately, huh?" the Ice King fixed his eyes on the huntress with curiosity. She was actually offering her services for free and seemed glad to help the heroes-to-be, was it some kind of trap?

"Who'll dare to take a stand against the Lich King if you guys die?" the female wizard questioned in response "I just know that I want to survive this catastrophe and keep the earth alive, the forests are my home and I don't wanna lose them. I will fight."

"Great, she's in." Princess Bubblegum claimed as she led the way out.

The Ice King dropped his jaw in astonishment "She's what?! You do know that Huntress Wizard is trying to kill me, right?!"

"Wenk!" Gunter said staring at him blankly.

"Yeah, I know nobody cares, Gunter!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Heave…!"

Flexed knees and gripping hands shivered out of extreme effort, Marceline gritted her teeth hoping that some of her repressed anger would grant her the strength needed to lift the humongous weight that was crushing her ex-boyfriend's body.

"Just…a little…more…!" she grunted as she pushed every single muscle on her body to the limit "C'mon…!" The Vampire Queen had it almost done, if only her wounded arm hadn't decided to betray her in that very moment… "Augh!"

Marceline dropped the Galewhale's corpse over Ash, she heard him scream in pain, but it wasn't as if she had any other option left. More blood leaked out of her bandages while she rested on her knees, just trying to catch some breath.

"Not that I'm…complaining here… but I think that…you just broke my legs…"

"Well it's not that I'm complaining either… but I could just let you here and wait until the wolves arrive to gnaw the flesh out of your bones…!"

Ash sucked his lips into his mouth "I got the hint. I'm going to keep my mouth shut now."

Marceline rolled her eyes, even crushed under the weight of a legendary beast, that undead wizard was still a nuisance. She pulled herself towards the dead rock whale and leaned against it. The rain continued to fall upon her, but since the Galewhale's defeat, it did it in a more soothing way.

With a bothered look, the Vampire Queen covered her wounded arm with her hand and sighed. She was able to perceive the scent of the putrid mist slowly covering the surrounding isles, including the one where she had left her friends behind.

She glanced back at Ash; the young man had fainted –probably because of the pain– and reached out for her Hambo. Marceline was feeling desperate on the inside, as far as she knew; Finn and Flame Princess could be now knockin' on heaven's door while the rest of the gang was being slaughtered by a bunch of possessed zombies. She held the timeworn plush close to her chest; the pain, the strain and the cold striking her body.

"What kind of freak lets a deceased gal keep her feelings and senses?!" Marceline shouted towards the darkened skies in anger, her arms instinctively searching comfort in her Hambo.

An amused giggle graced her hopeless features, thinking of her as the Vampire Queen; still treating an old ragged animal as if it had life of its own was just comical. "Why?" Marceline wondered quietly while her fingers stroke Hambo's stitched face; his eyes, arms and legs fixed beyond imaginable "Why does this old thing makes me feel so much…solace?"

As far as she could remember Hambo had always been at her side, centuries of adventures, suffering, excitement, misery and happiness marked their history, but this was the first time that Marceline actually wondered how did that strange doll reach her arms. Was the answer buried under the countless memories of an everlasting lifetime?

Why did it always provided her comfort and courage when she was forced to face undesirable hardships? The Vampire Queen knew that, as any other child, it was easy to see a plush toy like Hambo as a reliable friend, but now that she had reached maturity, now that she knew that Hambo was nothing more than a bunch of rags stitched together, Marceline asked herself why did she still miss him when Ash sold him?

Why did she found herself crying every night when nightmares corrupted her dreams and her hand searched for his protection desperately only to find an empty space on her bed? What was the hidden meaning behind Hambo?

Marceline stared at her tattered and dirty teddy bear in silence; she pressed it against her nose searching for a clue or a sign of a mysterious memory, which seemed to haunt the depths of her mind every now and then.

"_I won't ever forgive you if you give up to desolation and you start seeking to end your own life Marceline, that's not what we've been fighting for. I know I won't be by your side anymore, but you'll always have Hambo, and with him, a part of me that will never fade. You won't be alone. When everything seems to dissolve within the bleakness of the night remember; it's always darkest just before the dawn." _

That unknown, but somehow familiar voice that whispered in her mind each time that Marceline dared to evoke that memory had always clouded her eyes with tears, and this time was no exception.

The vampire let her tears mix themselves with the raindrops that soaked her pale face while she asked herself in a low weak voice "Who are you? Why is it that I can't… remember you?"

More uncontrollable sobs followed as she buried her face on Hambo, her ears being now deaf to the world around her.

"Marceline?" a husky, but charismatic voice wondered softly "Are you…crying?"

"What does it look like, Jake?!" the vampire react angrily, barely glimpsing the golden bulldog on her side. She sank her face on the old teddy bear, it took her some seconds to realize that she wasn't alone anymore "J-Jake?!"

Marceline sprung back on her feet, the astonishment clearly visible on her face as the rest of her friends emerged from behind the colossal monster that she had defeated some hours ago.

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn collapsed onto the sand; the rain and the wind freezing his already weakened body. Somehow the blade on his back had become an unbearable burden, his arms shivered out strain while he fought to push himself back to his feet. He couldn't. The human's face was quickly stamped on the grainy ground, he panted searching for air; his young body was failing to respond at his commands.

"What's wrong with me?" the boy whispered weakly as some uncalled tears leaked out of his tired eyes.

Finn hated to cry, he would only do it when it was healthy, like when people died. No one had died that day, but it felt like if someone was missing. It was the only explanation he could find for the stubborn tears that wouldn't stop filling his eyes.

His hand shoved an antique scroll out of his pocket. He had found it; that one thing, which the masked wished more than anything; the spell that would let him corrupt the power of the cosmic weapons by breaking the protective shield that the fire elemental wizard Pyralis had cast upon them.

Finn hadn't opened it yet; he didn't want to do it. The manticore would have surely forced him destroy it as soon as he laid his hands on it, but another part of himself wanted him to reject the idea of doing so. It was the same part of him that was forcing the poor adventurer to ignore the tears and the mysterious bitterness that was overwhelming his young heart.

"_**What's wrong master? Get up!" **_the demonic voice within his cursed sword ordered.

The young hero felt the weight of the crimson blade crushing his body, why was he allowing a demon to tell him what to do? "I want to rest a little, what's up with you giving me orders anyway?!" Finn yelled.

His body felt even weaker after that and the sword just got heavier, Finn stretched his arm back wishing to get rid of that weight. Just when his fingers had grazed the sword's hilt, the dark red demon appeared before him, an indignant look on his glowing eyes.

"_**What are you trying to do, master?" **_ The evil creature growled.

"I…can't stand this anymore…!" Finn replied in disgust, the boy tightened his eyes shut trying to summon comforting memories to help himself withstand the sudden feeling of emptiness that was now threatening to consume his soul. His efforts were futile; the human knew that somewhere within him lied the memories of those who truly cared for him, but he wasn't allowed to see them. "Where are they?" he wasn't even able to remember their faces "What have you done to them?!"

"_**There's no 'them', master."**_ The Blood Demon _**smirked "Just us… and soon, only me…!" **_

Finn managed to stand up, the heavy sword forced him to stumble down once again, but the boy managed to keep himself on his feet. His shaky hand clutched the place on his chest where his heart was as he grunted angrily "What have you done?! What have you done with them?!"

"_**I didn't do anything master, it was you the one who pushed them out of your life! They will never go back to you, give up human! Your life is now worth nothing!"**_

Finn pulled the sword out of its strap and glared at it "No… I will bring them back…"

"_**You hurt them and now they have abandoned you."**_ The demon smiled pleasantly _**"Forget about them!"**_

The young hero tightened his grip on the sword; Finn wasn't able to remember who were the ones that he wanted so desperately to see, he wasn't even sure if they cared for him, but still, he felt that he needed them.

Finn gritted his teeth, the grip on his blade got even stronger "This is all your fault… I need to get away from you…!" the boy threw his arm back "If I want to get them back… I'll have to get rid of you first…!" He tossed the sword using the little strength that was left within him.

He knew that doing that wasn't going to be enough to free him from the demon's curse, but it was a start. His knees hit the ground once more; each gasp for air brought a soothing sensation of relief into his tired soul. Finn's memories were distant, but they were coming back.

Jake…his wise advises and his unique way to be responsibly irresponsible, Billy…the greatest hero in all of Ooo, one day he'll be just like him. Susan… the friendly hyooman who had turned his heart on was his only hope of not being the last human on earth. The Ice King…well, he helped him look cool each time he kicked his old buns out of the Candy Kingdom.

Princess Bubblegum… how would he had become the hero of Ooo if wasn't for her? She granted Finn every opportunity to let him show what he was made of; she taught him about Scarlet the Golden Sword at the very beginning, she encouraged him to obtain the Enchiridion and even trusted him the fate of the world when the Lich first aroused. But more than that, Peebles introduced him to a whole new world of knowledge, self-confidence and she even messed up his feelings a little…

She was his friend, and now Finn was aware that just like had done in the past, everything she did was for him. To keep him safe and rescue the things and the people he treasured. If she had betrayed his confidence, she had only done it for his own good, because Bubblegum truly cared about him.

Marceline… It was true that his first impression her was somewhat rough, well if someone kicks you out of your house during a stormy night you can only consider him a villain –But Marceline ended up being more than just that; a radical dame with a mysterious past, a love for the shades of red and amazing music skills. Sure she was all of that and much more. Jake's greatest fear, the Queen of all vampires, the daughter of the Lord of Evil and his best friend. Adventure got a new meaning whenever she was around; Marceline Abadeer was another idol before his eyes just like Billy. The way in which she defied danger, wildly and recklessly really inspired him to pull out stunts that would make Jake buckle in worry.

She had her own particular way of showing affection; a painful punch in the arm was easy translatable as a "Cool, well done!" A sudden scary screech was her way of saying hello, whenever she referred to him a weenie, runt, midget, idiot, fool, etc. It was obvious that Marceline meant to call him "friend" in reality.

The Vampire Queen was different from everybody else, Finn was well aware of that. A thousand years of roaming the earth alone must have hardened her soul's core to the point that her true feelings were never visible to anyone but herself. Marceline did care about him and the others, though. It was reflected on her ruby irises each time that one of them hit the ground and groaned in pain.

Marceline was just as scared as him when she learned about Flame Princess' condition, Finn was completely sure about it now. She was the kind of friend who would risk everything to keep the people she cared for safe. If not, why would she have jumped into the depths of the Underworld just to bring him back from the dead? Finn couldn't allow himself to lose a friend like Marceline.

Flame Princess… The last time he saw her there were tears in her eyes, what had he done? She was more than a just a friend to him, it was by her side that he wanted to venture each single trial that life will place before them in the future. They were an item.

The years in which he vomited at the mere sight of romantic movies and would rather kiss a blanket or a duck instead of a girl were gone now. Time brings changes into people's life, but it wasn't just time what turned Finn's life upside down; it was a fiery thirteen-year-old who had fallen from his roof and into his arms one rainy night.

Getting to know her and even just trying to be around her was one of the hardest tasks he had ever faced. However, the reward for all his effort was worth every tear he shed and every raging fireball he ducked. Those golden eyes of hers, watching his reflection in them and feeling the warmth of her arms wrapped around him, pulling his body into a hug and asking him for affection was the sweetest moment of his life yet.

But it also came with a hard lesson. Both fire and water burned and hurt their skins in their own unique way. Together they had to learn that love wasn't build with just hugs and kisses, there had to be sacrifice, determination and pain. Lots of pain.

Time passed them by, both growing more and more into each other. Their feelings became stronger as their relationship advanced slowly, one tier at a time. Finn was sure that he'd never let his fire princess go away, but the cursed demon inside him forced them to break-up.

The time he had left to be with her was short, Finn had to go back and fix this mess as soon as possible. He was determined to get his girlfriend and his friends back at all cost.

The young hero reached out for a stick to help himself walk, the Blood Demon must still be draining his energy, but that didn't matter now, his first and only priority was to find Flame Princess.

"To be used as a tool by his own weapon must be a hero's greatest shame…"

That voice… Finn had heard it before, every muscle in his body tensed while he turned around to face its source. Standing right behind him with his arms crossed, was none other than feared being of the silver mask.

"You…" Finn spoke softly, the rain still wetting his pale features "What the math are you doing here?!"

"Retrieving what was supposed to be mine since the beginning; the scroll and the cosmic weapon in your backpack, kid." Barnabas stretched his arm towards Finn, his five sharpened claws shined menacingly as he aimed for the boy's chest "Hand them to me quickly so I can hunt down the other one."

"The… other one?" the human boy felt his sweat freeze on his back. That donkus couldn't be talking about…

"I sense the power of the Pyrali's sapphire pulsing somewhere nearby…" the black-hooded man pulled out the cosmic bow, the sapphire on its center was glowing insistently "These sapphires are all one and the same, they long be united once more and that's why call each other whenever there is more than one cosmic weapon in the surrounding area."

Finn backed away in fear, what was he supposed to do? He couldn't fight that guy without his sword and with his energy drained. Should he try to runaway and warn Flame P? "Uh, that's a cool story bro…" the boy replied hoping to lead his enemy's attention towards him.

Warning Flame Princess would be useless if it keeps raining; the only thing that Finn could do to save her was to face the masked man and be his decoy while the rain ceased, that would give Flame P a chance of escaping unharmed.

"So you want to snatch the cosmic weapons from us, huh?" Finn said confidently as he got his green bag off his shoulders wondering what kind of power was hidden within the Siren's ring "Well that's a shame dude, 'cause first you're gonna have to yank it out of my dead body!"

"I can easily make that happen, boy…" Barnabas whispered, his feet suddenly dashing towards him.

"_All right…" the_ human boy thought while quickly pulled the silver ring out of his bag and held it in front of his finger _"It's sink or swim…!"_

As Barnabas' body disfigured itself to stab Finn's heart with the clutches of a monster, the young hero slid the ring into his finger releasing a blinding light over his attacker. Finn's mind was suddenly overwhelmed by random and fleeting glimpses of an unknown life; nothing but scenes of horror and misery paraded through his young eyes, each one becoming worst than the other.

His righteous spirit wasn't going to resist that severe amount of evil invading his mind; Finn quickly reached for the small cosmic weapon and pulled it off from his finger screaming, "Make it stop…!"

A white flash fired both Finn and the masked man in opposite directions causing their bodies to hit the ground violently. The young hero had never felt so weak and mentally disturbed in his life, wearing the Nightosphere's Amulet was a ride through the park compared to his latest experience.

"Fool!" the masked man growled as he got back on his feet with ease "How dare you use the ring's power to coax my thoughts and memories out of my mind?!"

"Heh…no wonder I'm feeling like crap right now…" Finn replied mockingly.

Barnabas pulled him off the ground angrily "Look at you boy, the power of the cosmic weapons is still out of your reach…hehe…if you would have been able to use it properly you'd dug my deepest wishes out of my mind and use them against me…" his claws ripped Finn's backpack off his shoulders and snatched the ring from him.

Tossing the boy onto the ground, the dark man shoved the scroll out of the torn bag, all of Finn's adventure items falling at his feet "Now it's only fair that I punish you testing its power on your pathetic mind, with the secret that will dispel Pyralis' stupid spell, corrupting the ring won't be a problem…hehe…"

"Would this be a problem then?!"

A fireball flashed towards the masked man before he could even lay his eyes on the spell, his first reaction was to close the scroll and put it in a safe place as fast as possible, which caused him to receive the fiery strike openly.

Finn's heart leaped out of his chest with a combination of excitement and worry. He didn't have to open his exhausted eyes to know that Flame Princess was standing right before his foe ready to blast him into ashes.

Barnabas shook his expressionless face and glanced with amusement at the steamy fire elemental girl who had dared to face him uncovered, right under the rain "Are you trying to get yourself killed, foolish girl?"

"Maybe…" Flame Princess panted in anger.

Finn brought himself up just to stare at the girl that he was trying to protect a while ago; her reddish hair had fallen over her shoulders and a steamy aura was surrounding her wet body. What the math was she doing out in the rain? The human boy noticed with concern that the princess was pressing the lower area of her chest tightly with her left hand, was she hurt or something?

"Or is it…" Finn whispered in fear "Her elemental matrix…"

Could it be possible that breaking her heart had somehow triggered the reaction? Finn quickly shook those thoughts off his head. No, she was still stable but her time had certainly been shortened because of the wrath ragging inside her. He had seen those signs before; the way her breathing became heavy, how she covered her abdomen seeking to sooth an unknown source of pain…

Finn had seen it all before, it started happening to her during their training, but at that time he was oblivious of her condition. The last time it happened to her was after her defeat against Xergiock, right after a failed attempt of raging wildly over the goblin.

Bubblegum was right in trying to prevent the young princess from unleashing her wrath, but now, time was slipping out of their hands. Breaking up with her must have inflamed her beyond comparison, only that Finn's calm words would not manage to soothe her pain this time.

"Flame Princess…" the young hero whispered hoping that she'd look back at him. She didn't.

Instead, the flaring girl clenched her free fist and charged against the masked man. Her flaming knuckles struck his silver mask producing no effect on him at all, Flame Princess froze in awe knowing that she had put most on her strength on that hit. How come it didn't work?

"Is that all?" Barnabas hissed. His claw gripped her wrist, which was still frozen on his face, and twisted it backward causing the fire elemental groan in pain "Let me show you how it's done."

Flame Princess' eyes went blank as the masked man's fist smashed her cheekbone sending her whole body twenty feet away from him. She crashed helplessly on the damp sand absorbing the impact with her chilled bones.

"FLAME PRINCESS!" Finn cried desperately "YOU BASTARD!" His anger helping him to lunge over his enemy, a similar fate awaited him.

"Stupid boy!" Barnabas exclaimed with discontent while he stared at Finn's motionless body "You can't win this fight!" His face drifted back to Flame Princess "Now, for my prize… I should get my hands on her cosmic weapon as well."

Flames rose menacingly as the rage powered the young princess; her fire withstood the rain for as long as it could. If only the weather was on her side she would have already acquired her beast form to crush him under her feet.

"Humph… you know what's the real weakness of a fire elemental?" her enemy commented walking towards her, the inferno around her failing to keep him away "It's not water, look at you. You're fighting me under the rain." His claw was slowly morphed into a normal hand "Your real weakness is your own power. Take it away…" A quick movement of his hand withdrew all the air inside her lungs, obviously depriving her of oxygen.

Flame Princess collapsed on her knees, holding her throat. The fire of her body had been easily extinguished. She glared at him through her wet scarlet locks, the rage still living inside her despite her lack of air.

"…And they will crumble to your feet like the real weaklings they are…" he crouched down and used his thumb to raise Flame P's chin just enough to leave her sapphire at sight, he then proceeded to pull it off from her neck letting the fire elemental's face strike the ground while she gasped for air.

Barnabas glanced at his three new possessions and chuckled lightly "Now if you excuse me children, I gotta meet my little lion friend and crush all his hopes…"

Finn watched the faceless enemy vanish from the scene using his dark magic and then locked his sight on the writhing girl just a few inches away from him. The boy crawled slowly towards her using the little stamina he had left and covered her from the rain with his body.

"Flame Princess…don't worry I'm here with you…"

She breathed one final desperate breath mustering the last of her anger in a hurtful exclamation "Why don't you just leave me alone?!" her hands were now pressed again her aching midsection "Why is this happening to me again?"

"Again…" Finn replied pulling her closer "It wasn't my fault, Princess…"

He knew that with "again" Flame Princess was talking about the first time they met, the day in which Jake built her hopes up pretending to be Finn and then rejected her. To be betrayed by the same person twice must be hurting her inside more than the rain that was falling over them.

Finn seriously doubted that she'd buy the same excuse once again, but he had to try "The one yelling to you earlier wasn't me, please you gotta be believe me…!"

"You were right…" Flame Princess whispered, "I believe everything people tells me, I believed Jake was a baron, I believed he was you…I believed everything you wanted me to feel… And now that I don't feel like listening to you anymore, you ask me to believe once more…how I'm supposed to do that?"

"Flame Princess, I…" the boy insisted, but decided to cut his words off. Begging her to trust him wasn't going to work, he had lost something that the demon didn't want him to treasure; her faith in him "Why did you come here?" Finn asked quietly, he just wanted to know why would she dare to expose herself to the rain.

"I guess I can't help being so naive…" she began "I blame those ten years that I spent locked inside the lantern, but it seems that –despite my own foolishness, there's one thing that I refuse to believe…" she closed her eyes and muttered "Why don't I ever learn?" Flame Princess stared back at him, the rain still falling all around them "I can't believe that you are done with me... 'Cause maybe I'm just as stubborn as my father or just stupid like you, but I know that no matter what I do…in the end I will always love you."

**x+x+x+x+x**

Marceline turned her face away glimpsing Doctor Princess and her bottle of anesthetic, the liquid entered in contact with the ripped skin of her arm and stung her like hell "Globdammit…!" the vampire hissed hurtfully while the doctor worked on her injury.

They we are all gathered inside Ash's cave, the crushed wizard was rescued with the help of Susan Strong and the giant limps of Jake the Dog. While Dr. Princess treated her wounds, Marceline explained her friends everything she had been through –omitting some personal details, of course– and then they had proceeded to tell her their own story.

"It wouldn't hurt that much if only you'd stop moving and complaining!" the greenish doctor replied in amusement.

"That's what I always tell her" Princess Bubblegum chuckled "But she hates the stinging feeling more than anything, hehe."

"Well, thanks for telling her the story of my life!" Marceline growled angrily "Ow…!"

"Quit it Marceline, your bone was dislocated and the wound was bleeding internally. It's almost a miracle that you still have your arm attached to your shoulder, so stop complaining."

"Fine…"

Ash mumbled something in his sleep; he winced a little and opened his eyes to meet Doctor Princess' face checking his physical condition and the restoration of his broken bones.

"Huh?" the undead wizard blinked a couple of times while his vision adjusted it self and grinned widely "Well hello there, pretty…!"

"Oh my…!" Dr. Princess blushed covering her cheeks with her hands.

The Vampire Queen shook her head skeptically and rolled her eyes "Same old playboy…" she sighed, "Doctor, would you please focus? I kinda have to leave this place as soon as possible to save my friends!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, right! hehe…!" Dr. Princess grabbed some new clean bandages and began to wrap them around Marceline's arm "This should be enough, I guess…"

"Marceline, are you sure that you want to go on your own?" Billy inquired sternly "That creep from the Underworld is lurking somewhere in that island, it could be dangerous."

"It will take your little toy boat at least six hours to reach the shore, and who knows what are Finn and Flame P going through in there. I can fly faster and I know I'll be helpful, so yeah, I'm totally sure!"

"I promise we'll catch up with you at that island as soon as we can," Princess Bubblegum assured "But don't try to do something reckless until we arrive, you hear me?"

"Yes, mom…" Marceline replied in annoyance while she strapped her bass on her back and prepared herself to fly away.

"Marceline!" Ash, who was still lying on an improvised bed, called her just before she stepped out "Come here, I gotta tell you something."

The vampire crouched beside him reluctantly and waited in silence.

"Thanks for, you know, everything." Her ex-boyfriend smiled and handed her a small pouch "It's magic powder, that masked guy likes to play with people's mind so believe me, if you bump into that freak these golden dust will surely come in handy."

"Thanks." Marceline replied hurting her pride "For saving me and for… getting my plush bear back, that was…very nice of you."

"Hehehe… It's the first time in centuries that I hear you talking to me so sweetly Mar-…!" the queen's fist struck his head.

"Don't ruin it, will ya?!" Marceline growled getting back on her feet. She walked towards the entrance when suddenly something pulled her shirt.

"Marcy…" It was Jake, a look of concern seizing his face "Please make sure that my little brother is okay…"

The Vampire Queen smiled petting his head "Of course I will."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Hi, um... how do I say this? With the holidays being just around the corner I'm afraid that I'll have to put this fic on hiatus till January 8. Yes, I know what you're thinking, the truth is that I don't want to do it either, but I can't help it. You know; Christmas, family visits, vacations, the beach, new year's eve...I'm gonna be crazy busy, and I won't get a chance to write until the date that I just gave you. SORRY! :')

I tried my best to avoid a cliffhanger, so that you won't be tortured by the wait. I'm gonna still keep reading, reviewing and answering PM messages via nintendo DS, though.

So I guess this is good-bye for now; have a merry Christmas, enjoy your family and friends, smile as much as you can, take care, wash your hands, and don't you dare forget about this fic! I swear I'm not abandoning it, I'm just taking a small break.

See you next year! Best wishes,

SCIK1012


	44. Unbreakable Bonds!

_Tale 44:_ Unbreakable Bonds!

Marceline never thought that she would be late; during her flight she had tried to convince herself with the idea of Finn and Flame Princess being safe under a rock or inside a cave. She was wrong. The Vampire Queen found them both lying unconscious beneath the now soothing rain. Finn's body had managed to protect the young princess from the cold water but her flames were barely glowing.

Marceline got them both over her shoulders and carried them inside a small grotto in the middle of the humid woodland in which they were trapped, and laid them right beside each other knowing that they'd need to remain as close as possible to keep themselves alive. Flame Princess' natural heat would warm Finn's frozen body and the boy's presence would easily rekindle the young princess' flames because of the emotions they had towards each other. At least that was what Marceline believed being oblivious to that island's previous events.

Her pale hands analyzed Flame Princess' face carefully; the vampire was worried about the painfully visible bruise on one of her cheekbones and wondered what could have caused it. There were also dried lava trails running down her closed eyes. Marceline delicately cleaned them off with her thumb and turned towards Finn noticing that he had also cried a good load of tears before her arrival.

"What happened to you guys?" the vampire whispered.

She knew that she couldn't do much for them under their current circumstances. Marceline had to remain with her unconscious friends waiting for the rest of her team to reach the island. The queen comforted herself with the thought that at least Finn and Flame Princess were alive, that was all she wanted to know since she was trapped with Ash.

A quick glance of her eyes caught a glimpse of something odd in the fiery princess' appearance, Flame P was gritting her teeth as if she was feeling some sort of pain and her right hand was making pressure on the lower section of her chest. Marceline leaned closer to her friend and realized that the Pyrali's sapphire was missing. She drew herself back in fear as her brain processed all the information gathered by watching over the young couple. The vampire knew who was responsible for their precarious condition.

"That masked guy…!" she hissed.

The unconscious princess buried her face on Finn's chest in an attempt to withstand the constant waves of pain that were striking her body as Marceline watched in awe how a sudden surge of light swelled her flames and then died out almost in the same way in which it had appeared.

"It- it can't be…!" Marceline stuttered with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Marcy…" she heard Finn call her.

The boy had probably been awakened by the burst of heat that had just erupted out of Flame Princess' body. Finn threw his arms around the fiery girl holding her body as if she were about to slip away from him in any moment "It's my fault…her elemental matrix is…"

"I know." The Vampire Queen stated stoically "Bonnibel is coming, I need you two to hold on just a little longer…please."

Marceline placed her hand on his shoulder and sent him a comforting smile; the boy gladly returned the gesture before fading back to unconsciousness. Once Finn had closed his eyes, the vampire's features suffered a drastic change. The smile was erased from her face and a slightly disturbed frown took its place instead.

Her nose twitched repeatedly, Marceline was sure that she had perceived the scent of a demon covering Finn's body for a second, and then it had simply vanished. The Vampire Queen wasn't an easy target to fool which such an obvious trick, she knew about demons' nature better than anyone else and she could recognize the symptoms of a possession with ease and promptitude.

"Reveal yourself, butt!" Marceline demanded.

The demon's influence on the young hero was growing stronger and he didn't care about hiding his smell as well as any other signs of his presence around other people anymore. Marceline's ears tracked a grim laughter in the distance; she sprinted out of the grotto leaving her young friends alone and reached the abandoned crimson blade lying on the muddy ground.

The Blood Demon appeared before the queen with an evil chuckle _**"The human's energy is giving me the strength to free myself from this cursed sword, there's nothing you can do about it. Give up, now!" **_

"What of kind father leaves such a dangerous weapon to his younger son?" Marceline meditated raising an eyebrow "Jake's dad of course…" she concluded with a resigned sigh.

A demon that had to be sealed back into his vessel, Marceline knew exactly what she had do with him and grinned at the perfect chance of testing her own cosmic weapon once again. Her right hand shoved the silver cross out of her jeans' pocket and clenched the mystic object with confidence.

It all happened too fast for the vampire, she held the cross before the demon and chanted the same spell that she had used instinctively against her deadly nemesis, the Vampire King. But the cosmic weapon's power bounced back at Marceline in an unexpected result pushing her body into the ground and burning her hand severely after its use.

A teasing laugh from the bloody demon followed said act while Marceline studied her hurt hand in astonishment. The silver cross glowed dimly at the presence of its nearby sisters and its color was darkened right when its owner picked it up from the ground.

"What the?" Marceline sent a dead glare to the demon who was still laughing at her and she immediately sprinted back to her friends' shelter as fast as she could "There's only one way to figure out what happened, I gotta pay a visit to my father at the Nightosphere!"

The Vampire Queen joined Finn and his princess once more inside the small cave, she deduced that Flame P's condition was getting worse which each passing minute just by judging the burns on the young hero's body. Marceline suggested him to lay the flaring girl on the ground instead of holding her to prevent his wounds from becoming even more serious; she eagerly assured him that the rest of the gang was on its way to aid them and that Princess Bubblegum would be able to come up with a solution.

However, Finn refused to let go of the young princess no matter what could happen to him. Marceline grinned in admiration; she had never met someone as brave, stubborn and determined as Finn in her long immortal life.

"All right, keep her, torture yourself out of love; that's just righteous, little hero." The vampire stated comically "Just keep in mind that she's very unstable right now, anything could happen and if things get dangerous I want you to leave her and save yourself, is that clear?"

"Yes." The boy lied and Marceline knew it well.

"Listen" the vampire continued after reproaching herself for letting Finn do whatever he wanted "I know about the Blood Demon and I'm going to get rid of him for you while Bonnie and the others arrive. I'll steal your Bug Milk for awhile, I'm sure that my dad will know what to do…. I'll be back soon, I promise."

With that said, the queen rummaged inside Finn's backpack and shoved the carton of Bug Milk out of it. She drew the "Phil Face" on the wall, bathed it with the odd lactose-free liquid and chanted the incantation to open a new portal into her father's realm.

Marceline made sure to cover the grotto's entrance with bushes and sticks in order to keep Finn and Flame P hidden and safe from any possible danger before leaving them on their own. The masked man was dwelling somewhere nearby, her cosmic weapon had warned her about it, she knew that she shouldn't leave them alone but Marceline couldn't think in anything else. Hopefully Jake, Billy and the others would reach them while she was gone.

"They will be fine." The vampire whispered to reassure herself.

One last glance towards Finn and his beloved girl gave her the confidence to leap forward and merge with the spiral portal before her, thus entering into the Nightosphere without any sign of regret in her un-beating heart.

**x+x+x+x+x**

The Manticore laughed at Barnabas heartily even though his bones were crushed and each guffaw pierced his tiny lungs mercilessly, he was pleased with his enemy's recent discovery. Galleon always knew that the masked man wouldn't be able to unleash the power of the cosmic weapons just with a written spell and his malevolent will alone. As he had informed the heroes-to-be in his letter, to break the seal the power of an unlimited source of energy that could only be unleashed by one (and only one) person in specific, was needed. And who was this person?

Barnabas had cracked that mystery as soon as he read the old scroll, it was the long deceased fire elemental Pyralis, the one who created the first cosmic weapon –a humble piece of the cosmic tear with unknown powers and one limitation as a result of being the first piece to be experimented with, it would only work with a fire elemental.

"Just like the old saying…" the tiny Manticore smirked "Fire elementals keep everything for themselves, hehe…!"

It took old Galleon centuries to remember his good fiery friend's intentions, but after his now dark enemy read the scroll aloud he felt proud of meeting that flaring wizard. Pyralis had sealed the cosmic power of the mystical weapons inside his sapphire knowing that no one but him –the most powerful fire elemental of that era, would be able to use the immeasurable heat of his flames to destroy the unbreakable seal, which he had created to keep the cosmic weapons safe and uncorrupted until its destined owners –a group of true heroes, appeared to wield them and slay evil with their power.

Ever since Pyralis died, no other fire elemental capable of matching the heat of his flames had been born, not even the "All Mighty Flame King" could perform the powerful blast needed to break the seal. Everything was over for Barnabas now. He had failed.

The Tiny Manticore faced his former friend with a pleased grin hoping to mock him for his mistake, but then the masked man began to laugh. His hidden face remained hung down as his guffaws became higher and higher turning his laughter into something visibly maniacal.

"You're a helplessly insane and disturbed man… your behavior sickens me, Barnabas!"

"Hehe… you think this is over little lion man? Just like that, so easily?" the masked man waved his index finger as he loomed over the manticore "I admit you're right, Pyralis is dead and no other fire elemental is able to match his power… but as people say; 'The show must go on' hehe…"

"What do you have in mind sick freak?!" Galleon roared.

"Can't you feel it? There's an intense wave of power growing somewhere in this island… it's actually not very far from us, old friend. And I believe… that with the right motivation, I could get its source to provide me with the energy I require…"

The manticore focused on sensing that wave of power as well, his eyes popped open in astonishment a couple of seconds after doing so. It was true; someone in the island was containing a huge surge of power within him, but… "Would it be enough to equal Pyralis' strength?"

"Just leave it to me." Barnabas said shooting himself out of the wrecked ship in which they were hiding "I'll get you the answer soon enough…!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

Marceline floated into Hunson Abadeer's realm glancing at the chaos around her and laughed at her feeling that the hell-like environment was even more turbulent than usual. The demons ran everywhere in aimless directions breaking and destroying everything on their way, even other demons. It seemed that they preferred to find a way to end their immortal life instead of staying in the Nightosphere for all the eternity, when they usually wouldn't mind to do it.

As she approached her father's lair her surroundings became more deserted; that area of the Nightosphere had become a lonely wasteland, Hunson's own tower was partially destroyed.

"So I'm not becoming insane after all…" the Vampire Queen talked to herself. "This dimension is also starting to be affected by the Lich's influence… just how powerful is that creep?"

Marceline flew through the wreckage trying to ignore an itching feeling in her soul (if she still had one) and stepped on the red ground to stare at her own image in a broken piece of mirror. She ignored why her reflection caused her curiosity, she even ignored how was it possible for a mirror to reflect the image of a vampire, and attributed that quality to fact that it was an object from the Nightosphere. The queen took a deep breath and gazed at the dirty girl equipped with a very unusual gear before her.

Tattered clothes, scratches and cuts on her pale skin, a bleeding bandage in one of her arms, messy black hair covering her face, and a torn teddy bear hanging from her axe-bass' belt. Marceline looked closer at her image and found that the crumbled buildings, the flames and the desolation around her worked along with her reflection to summon more confusing memories into her mind. The Vampire Queen felt that she had seen something similar in the past, but she couldn't tell why.

"Oh, Glob…" the lonely queen sighed placing her hand in the cold surface of the broken mirror.

"Marceline?" a familiar voice struck the silence "Is that you?"

Hunson Abadeer's head popped out of a pile of debris, his fluorescent green eyes piercing through her red-colored ones. A fanged smile lighted up his uncertain face; the demonic man then jumped out of his hiding and ran to his daughter's side. His usual tidy suit was stained with dust; his dark purple coat was unbuttoned revealing his sweated shirt with his untied tie hanging from his neck and his shirttails covering his knees.

"Dad… you look terrible, what happened?" Marceline asked a little surprised about his appearance.

"Well, as the awesome father I am, I should be the one asking that!" Hunson replied, "Look at you, were you swallowed by a gorilla, chewed and then spitted back on the ground by it?"

"Sort off…" His daughter answered turning her gaze away.

Marceline was feeling exhausted, it had been too much in just one day, even for the Vampire Queen. She could have come up with a sarcastic answer instead, but for the first time in eons, Marceline wasn't in the mood. Her eyes faced the Lord of Evil once more staring at him in a way that he swore he had already forgotten a millennium ago, she was looking at him like a little girl asking for comfort in father's arms.

"Baby… is something wrong? C'mon you can tell me everything…"

"It sucks dad!" Marceline sobbed embracing him "I actually believed that I could handle this! I thought that all we needed to do was to find the eight freaking weapons and get rid of the Lich! I thought that we would be back on our video game match by the end of the month but…. Every thing has slipped out of my control! I don't know for how long will I be able to stand the pressure…! And I can't freaking die!"

The Lord of Evil was stunned, he was obviously aware of the entire situation happening in Ooo and pretty much in the rest of the world and its many other dimensions. The Lich had managed to take over every kingdom, city and village. He had drained the life energy of the land and infested it with hordes of deadly ghouls. Hunson gulped lightly knowing that the Unholy King's strength was surpassing his own. The prove was in the fact that he had lost his control on the Nightosphere and that he was now hiding like a rat within the debris of his own residence.

Was it even possible to defeat the Lich? How many times had that vicious being been returned from its demise? The greatest hero of Ooo had managed to lock him away once but failed in the end, even the human boy had his change to slay him and ended up with pretty much the same result. How would things be different this time?

Hunson looked down at Marceline and smiled, this time his daughter was involved in the fight. Perhaps the Lord of Evil wasn't strong enough to beat the Lich King but he trusted that his little girl would be able to do it. After all she was only a thousand-years old, the power of youth still remained within her, while he slowly grew into an old demon. Marceline was his hope.

"This hasn't ended yet." Hunson said, "You're just tired and cold, no wonder why your body hasn't been able to heal itself. You need to eat something!" Her father shoved his hand in his coat's pocket "I was keeping them for later but… well…hehe…"

Marceline watched him in curiosity for a moment until he handed her a fistful of French fries "Huh?" the vampire girl replied doubtfully.

"It's okay, go ahead…dig in!" the demon smiled while he grabbed her wounded arm carefully and proceeded to remove its bandages.

The injury had been cleaned and partially treated by Doctor Princess, but Hunson had never trusted the mortals' medicine and preferred to heal his daughter's arm by himself. With a simple touch of his nail a black substance spread itself throughout Marceline's skin staining it momentarily as the damage in every muscle and tissue was magically repaired.

Marceline swallowed her last bite and raised her arm to check on her father's work, a relieved look gracing her face. The pain was gone.

"Thanks dad," she said. All her despair seemed to fade away in that instant "I'm glad you're still here."

**x+x+x+x+x**

Finn had fallen as sleep shortly after Marceline disappeared inside the portal; he knew that his sword was still draining him and that he had to save as much energy as he could to keep himself alive. The young hero was surely sick of the curse that his father's gift had brought upon him, but the idea of blaming Joshua for it never hit his mind. It wasn't his dad's fault that he wasn't responsible enough to memorize the incantation, he could had at least keep the recording in his backpack, but Jake had ruined the tape by remixing it way too much.

The truth was that Finn wasn't that worried about it; he trusted that Marceline would return with a solution. The boy had bowed to never doubt of any of his friends ever again.

"…late…ing…" a soft voice whispered suddenly, causing him to drift out of his sleep.

"Wha…?" Finn murmured in reply not sure of who had said that.

The boy slowly opened his eyes and studied his surroundings; he was completely alone except for Flame Princess who was lying on his chest. He blamed his imagination and glanced back at the princess in his arms, worry struck him like an arrow when he remembered that her time was getting way too small. To think that it was all his fault, if only he would've been strong enough to fight against the Blood Demon's power, Flame P wouldn't be in that condition…she wouldn't be so disappointed about him.

At least Flame Princess had told him that she still had feelings for him, but what use does that have if she doesn't know how to trust him anymore? Finn sighed while his eyes were still locked on her; his hand removed some rebel bangs of her long hung down hair from her face revealing a smile on her lips.

The young hero drew his hand back in surprise, was she really smiling?

"…Choc…ing…" this time he noticed her whispering.

"Flame P?" Finn asked in disconcertment trying to figure what was she saying.

He lowered his head close to her and listened carefully, his blue eyes widened in astonishment. Finn could swear that he had just heard her giggle the words "chocolate" and "pudding".

"P-princess?" he mumbled tapping her shoulder lightly.

The girl forced her eyelids to open themselves despite the weakness she was feeling and stared back at Finn childishly "I remembered…the Duke of Nuts…" she replied before a comical laughter took over her "He was stealing from…the kitchen like us…"

Finn blinked a couple of time in confusion, he just couldn't figure what was Flame Princess referring to all of a sudden. It just wasn't the kind of behavior that he would've expected from her in their current situation, but he had to admit it. It was good to see her smile.

"I-I think I know what you mean…" the human whispered calmly "We missed breakfast…on the Candy Train…" Finn raised his head as he summoned more memories "We were told that the kitchen was off-limits and then you said that we should enter anyway and snatch some candy…"

"We would have stolen more pudding if we hadn't bumped into that nut guy…" the princess chuckled. All of a sudden the memory of the Duke's face covered with chocolate pudding triggered another giggle from her.

Finn giggled as well not even knowing why those memories became so funny at that instant, all he wanted was to join Flame Princess in that miraculous moment of happiness. They kept recalling more silly moments of their adventure, and ended up bursting in laughter just by remembering Jake's pointless assumptions and Lemongrab's angry tantrums from the time in which they worked for him in his restaurant.

The young hero wiped off a tear from his eye, it wasn't caused by sadness but by the hilariousness of some of their happy times together. Those when the world wasn't so dark and their spirits weren't so discouraged by the evil growing around them. Finn turned back to the fiery princess and noticed with a bit of sadness that she had stopped her merry laughter.

"Flame Princess, I…" the boy said wanting to try once more, he needed her.

"I know…" she replied, "I could listen to you and Marceline all the time…"

Finn stared at her with clear signs of confusion painted all over his face; she simply gave him a peaceful smile in response.

"There's something…" Flame Princess doubted for a second "…wrong with me, right?" The human boy felt his blood freezing inside his veins, Flame Princess wasn't supposed to know about her condition. She would be terrified. "Don't worry… I kinda had my own suspicions since the beginning... I used to hear my father cry in the night, but I always thought he was suffering for my mother's death, not for mine."

"Flame Princess, you are not-going-to-die!" Finn scowled her hating the sound of resignation in her words, how could she accept her own doom so calmly?

"You don't know that." The young princess said, "There's so much energy built up inside me that it hurts. I can feel the heat trying to free itself and tear me apart… I'm just glad to know for once what is wrong with me; I never knew I was sick…this was probably the same condition that killed my mother…"

"Q-quit it, will ya?! You're scaring me!" Finn reproached her once more "I won't let it happen, okay?! You are going to live! We will get out of this together and I will build you that nice house in the Grasslands, you like it or not! Is that clear?!"

Flame Princess smiled at him once again and threw herself into his arms. Finn welcomed her warmly while he heard her sob on his shoulder "I should have known about that demon before, Finn! He made you deceive me, didn't he? I'm sorry I was so cold to you… I should have believed you…please forgive me, Finn."

"There's nothing to forgive, Flame P… I'm the one who should apologize for being so dumb… I was weak and that made me hurt you…" Finn held her tightly "I love you."

"I love you too, Finn…"

They broke their bond for a moment to stare into each other's eyes, the young lovers just needed to carry out a simple act to reassure the strength of their feelings for each other. Finn and Flame Princess leaned their bodies forward seeking the warmth of their lips. Their faces had barely brushed when a sudden outburst of dark energy struck their hiding, blowing it into shatters.

The couple crashed onto the ground separated from each other by a short distance, they both beheld the greatness of their silver-masked enemy before them in comparison to the little strength they had left.

Finn struggled to shout and course that guy for ruining his probable last moment with his girlfriend, but everything he did was useless. He was too weak.

"Finn…!" Flame Princess tried to crawl towards him; sadly her efforts were as futile as his. Seeing that there was nothing else for her to do, the fire elemental stretched her arm in an attempt to reach the young human.

"Flame Princess…" the hero smiled replying to her call and stretched his hand as well. Finn knew that everything would be over soon; all he needed was to entwine his fingers with hers and that would be enough for him.

He managed to grasp her fingertips reuniting their bodies with a single weak bond, but with a bond nonetheless. Flame Princess returned the smile, pleased by the feeling of his touch and wished for that moment to last forever. However, a painful shriek from her boyfriend brought her fantasies down faster than expected. The masked man had stabbed Finn's had with the crimson sword.

"YOU!" Flame Princess screamed possessed by hatred, her anger reviving the ferocity of her fire "What do think you're doing?!"

"So you were the source of power, huh? It's a good thing that I didn't kill you earlier…" Barnabas said using his magic to deprive her from oxygen once again and make her fall unconscious on the ground.

His left hand reached for the back of her dress and pulled her from the ground while he stared back at the moaning human "Sorry, but it appears that I need your fire elemental to fulfill my destiny… Say, do you know how can I trigger her full power?"

"First you'll have to suck my shirt, you piece of math!" Finn cried while he tried to free his bleeding hand from the sharpness of his own weapon.

"All right, I didn't want to do this because I can't still control the cosmic weapons' power, but you're leaving me no option…" the masked showed Finn the silver ring on his left hand and chuckled "I'll have to use this on you… don't worry, it doesn't hurt."

"Don't you dare to-…!" Finn was about to growl angrily when a blue ray of light was shot from the ring's sapphire and needled his brain.

The brightness of his eyes faded away as the masked man extracted figments of his deepest secrets and memories. Blurry scenes of Finn's past drifted before him and his deadly enemy…

* * *

_"Would you still do it?" … "Would you still defy nature for me?"_

_"I…" He said._

_"Cause I'm doing it…for you…" Flame Princess said. "My flames can no longer burn you."_

_"That's not true." Finn said smiling. "Cause each time I see you…I feel like my heart is on fire." "Can we try it…again?"_

* * *

_Finn gulped and stared at Flame Princess with concern "I don't want to leave you alone…"_

_"Well you should… I'm dangerous again…" she placed her eyes on him "This will never work, please go I don't want to hurt you…" she whispered._

_"I-I don't care!" he replied, "I've told you that before!"_

_"Finn…you know that's not true" Flame P turned her face away "Once you touch me, you'll get hurt and you'll have to get away from me…"_

_"If you are talking about that day…I…I was…" he tried to look at her "I'll show you that's not going to tear us apart!"_

_"Unless you can stand the pain, I don't-" she froze. Finn was too close._

_He leaned in placing his lips close to her's slowly. He felt the heat that threatened to burn him; he just ignored it and closed his eyes. Flame P closed her eyes too enjoying the soft touch on her skin, his golden bangs tickled her nose; she had never felt something like that before. She wanted to embrace him but she knew she'll just hurt him more. The princess lowered her head slowly taking away her lips from him "What is it?" he asked._

_"You know it's useless…" she whispered staring at him "You are in pain…"_

* * *

"Humph…! Too much emotional trash, c'mon show me some profitable information!" Barnabas yelled diving deeper into Finn's mind.

"Please, stop!" the young hero cried with disdain, those memories way too personal and valuable for him to let some dirty creep invade them.

* * *

_"Flame P, for how long were you locked inside that thing?" the boy asked sensing a tone of sadness in her voice._

_"Hmm, it's hard to remember…since I was four, I guess…"_

_Finn turned to see her with concern "T-that's a lot! Glob, what did you do to deserve that?"_

_"I think that my father was trying to protect me… and also… trying to protect the kingdom from…me…" she pulled his arm to indicate him to turn again and work on his chest._

_Again, feeling her eyes focused on his tanned skin, the young hero looked away so that she didn't notice him blush. "It's always been like that for you, right?" he replied._

_She nodded "I've never told this to anyone before, not even my father, he would have suffered a heart attack if I did but…" she gulped "I hate being a fire elemental…"_

* * *

Finn clenched his teeth letting the rage consume him "I'm warning you…! Stay away from my memories! NOW!"

"Her own father was afraid of her power?" the masked said ignoring Finn's threatening comments "Then she must be the strongest one of her kind…but, is her strength comparable to Pyralis'? What made the Flame King think that she was a threat to his kingdom?"

* * *

_Finn walked closer to the young princess and pulled a dart out of her arm._

_"Hey, that hurt!" she complained._

_"Sorry, what the math is this?" the boy wondered showing the small dart to her._

_"Hey, I've seen that thing before!" Flame Princess gasped in surprise "That's from Princess Bubblegum's weird gun! It paralyzes foes or something like that."_

_"Wait, if this belongs to PB what is it doing on your shoulder?"_

_Flame Princess shrugged "Perhaps she missed her target…"_

_"Dang…" Finn whispered, "This thing could have killed you, did you know that?"_

* * *

_"Hey, are you sure you're feeling okay now?" the human boy said while he ignored the grass ogre on the other side of the stage. He was tying the Pyrali's sapphire back on Flame Princess' neck._

_"Yeah, it's just…you know… this has been happening a lot lately…" the fire girl answered tiredly "Must be because of the exhausting training we were forced to endure, don't worry."_

_Finn held her hands between his and smiled warmly "Even though you lost, I think you were awesome there!" his face blushed a little "If you need something, don't hesitate on calling me, okay?"_

_"Don't be silly, Princess Bubblegum is taking care of me!" she pecked his cheek and pushed him back to the stage "Go beat 'em up!"_

* * *

"Hmmm… judging by your growing despair, I think we're getting closer to what I'm looking for, hehe…"

"LEAVE MY BRAIN ALONE, YOU FREAK!" Finn shouted as fought to stop his memories from coming.

"It's useless human, you can't overcome the power of the ring…"

* * *

_"Grod man, Peebles can be a little scary some times…" a dumbfounded Finn commented little after the princess left._

_"Uh yeah! Like that time when she wanted us to capture the Duke of nuts because you turned her green and hairless, hehe. Or when Marceline spat on her clothes, oh! And today at the tournament… man I thought she was going to kill Flame Princess with that gun, hehe!"_

_"Wait, what?!" the young hero threw his syringe into a water bucket and grabbed Jake's shoulders in disconcertment "What gun? What are you talking about, bro?"_

_"Ugh…well… You remember when Flame P was about become a fiery beast after her battle with that screwball goblin?" Finn nodded "Well I got a little scared. Just a little, okay? And I ran to Bubblegum's side, 'cause you know, she's smart and swift and all that. I expected her to do something about it and that was when she pulled this weird dart gun!" he mimicked a firing pistol with his hands "Pew! Pew! And Marceline flew over us and she was like 'You'll have to shoot her down 'cause someone might get hurt!' and I was like 'Whoa PB, are you going to kill Flame P?!' And she was all 'J-Jake?!' But then FP was all 'Awww' when you went into the stage and then Bubblegum was like 'Phew…Finn stabilized her…' End of my story."_

* * *

_The sugary princess rushed to his side when the boy collapsed on his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. She knelt in front of him and raised his chin in her hand delicately._

_"What is it Finn?" her voice asked softly, "Jake told me that you needed to talk with me about something, is it that why you're crying?"_

_Finn shut his eyes tightly causing more tears to roll down his face as he rested his head on the princess' shoulder searching for consolation. "What's wrong with Flame P?" the boy asked feeling Bubblegum's comforting arms around him "Is she going to die?"_

_Princess Bubblegum flinched in astonishment and fear, her hands reached for Finn's shoulders and pushed him back a little so she could look at him straight into his eyes "H-how do you know about that?" there was no sign of emotion in her voice except for nervousness "Did you read my notes?"_

* * *

"Notes?" the masked man whispered as explored Princess Bubblegum's writing inside Finn's memory.

Barnabas memorized everything about Flame Princess' elemental matrix, her instability, and the way in which pain and anger shortened her capacity of avoiding a dangerous reaction to occur. There was one last detail that he needed to know before he could get rid of Finn and proceed to carry out his plans, he struck the boy's mind once more.

* * *

_"What if I did?! Were you planning to tell me about it?!" the human boy reacted aggressively "Why didn't you tell me about it?! Why didn't Marceline or Flame Princess do it either?!"_

_"Leave Flame Princess out of this, she isn't even aware of her condition…"_

_The young hero gasped widening his eyes "H-how come?"_

_"I promised the Flame King not to tell her, she wouldn't have been able to enjoy her freedom knowing that she'd die in any moment…" Bubblegum explained, "As for you and the others… it was pretty much for the same reason, especially because of you and her becoming so intimate lately… Guess I was just trying to protect you both…" she raised her sight trying to form a humble smile in her lips "You outta trust me, Finn. I did it for your own good, and I'm not giving up. I'll find the cure just-… Just trust me, okay?"_

* * *

"So the human boy is quite important for her, huh?" the masked man put the Siren's ring away, instantly releasing Finn from its power. "Then all I need is to use him to force her elemental matrix to explode… The energy I need must come from it."

Barnabas glanced at Finn; the poor young hero had fainted from both exhaustion and desperation.

"I wonder how will the young princess react to his death…" he whispered pointing Finn's unconscious body with one finger.

That human had caused him a lot of trouble, killing him would be like a benevolent payment for his deeds. No, he had to punish him with something far more torturing and despairing, thus the masked man cast a curse of eternal slumber on the boy. His wildest dreams and wishes would deceive and betray him for eternity while his friends and his princess believed him dead. That should be enough to enrage the flaring princess and obtain her power to break the seal on the sapphire.

Barnabas held the young princess more carefully now and vanished from that spot having concluded his job there, while Finn's mind drifted into an unknown world.

**x+x+x+x+x**

The Lord of Evil rubbed his chin thoughtfully; he slowly stared back at his daughter who was now wearing his dark purple coat to protect herself from the cold. Marceline had just asked him if he was sure about his solution to get rid of the Blood Demon, and he decided to give her a positive reply with a nod.

"Yeah, I believe that was the spell needed to lock him back in the blade, though it is not a permanent solution. Those kind of demons are potentially stronger than you think." Hunson closed his eyes and smirked "The rest depends on you, sweetie!"

Marceline sighed as she stared at the ground, her hand reached out for her pocket and shoved the cross from within it "You remember this thing, don't you? I used it to seal the Vampire King inside the Nightosphere's Amulet and it worked perfectly…"

"Heh! There you go then, use it with that demon and your problem will be solved once and for all!" her father assured.

"Is not so easy…" Marceline said, "I tried to use it earlier but-…" she raised her burnt hand and showed it to him "Its power was repealed back at me, what the heck does that mean? Am I not worthy of wielding it?"

"Why won't you be worthy of it? You're my daughter!"

"Exactly!" she replied in annoyance "You're the Lord of Evil! The cosmic weapons are meant to vanquish evil! And I am…" Marceline brushed her hair away from her forehead in a stressful manner "I don't know what I am… an undead being, a demon or a vampire? Never mind… I'm sure that those three options are all part of the same evil…"

Hunson Abadeer scratched the back of his head nervously while he stared at his feet. A sudden spark of inspiration lighted his dark mind; the Demon Lord rolled up his shirt's white sleeves and grinned at his daughter.

"You wanna know what I believe?"

Marceline folded her arms and sighed in exhaustion "What?"

"I believe you're the best of the three, you're my little girl." Hunson then shrugged briefly and continued to speak with a light voice "Be good, be evil…what does that matter? Didn't I already tell you that I'm proud of you for being who you are? I'll trust that you'll make the right decision in the end. And if you fail to choose an alignment… You can always rule the Nightosphere for me, hehe!"

"Dad!" Marceline protested trying to hide her amusement "You'll never change!"

"Nope…!" he laughed joyfully.

A calmer smile graced the Vampire Queen's face as another question rose inside her "Say… Did I ever hit my head when I was younger? It's just that… I've been having these weird memories and Déjà vus crossing my mind… it's really confusing! Did I forget a part of my life or something?"

Her father's face became pale and sweaty after listening to those words, he began to mumble and stammer senseless words while he played with his fingers nervously.

"F-forgotten? W-why would you feel that something's missing? Y-you lived a long life, it would be natural if you forget a few things… I-I usually forget…most of…everything…"

Hunson noticed that Marceline wasn't obviously going to buy the good load of made up excuses that he was throwing at her. His mind began to work faster and faster seeking for a distraction to avoid answering those questions.

"Hey! Look what I found after you and your friends left my office a couple of weeks ago!" Abadeer twisted his torso backwards and then returned to his previous sitting position with a small fluffy poodle dog in his arms.

"Schwabl!" the vampire girl exclaimed grabbing the dog and hugging him lovingly "Aw little guy, I'm sorry. I almost never pay attention to you; I'm so busy all the time! Y-you know how it is…"

"Woof!" the zombie dog barked.

Hunson stretched his shirt's collar out a little to refresh himself and smiled with uncertainty "Uff…yeah, glad I found the little guy, huh? You won't even-!" his green demonic eyes jumped out from their sockets as they noticed a growing disruption on the portal from which Marceline had entered into the Nightosphere "Darn…what the heck is that?!"

Marceline turned her head towards the portal with a confused frown; a terrified gasp left her lips once she realized what was happening at the other side of the portal.

"Finn! Flame P!" She cried leaving her father's side in a huff. "Sorry Dad, but I gotta attend an emergency now!"

The Vampire Queen leaped through the chaotic portal leaving her zombie pet and Hunson's business coat behind. The Lord of Evil abandoned the red boulder that he had been using as seat the whole time watching his daughter disappear right before his eyes. He felt numb, probably because of his still protective parental instinct.

"I don't care if you're immortal…" the Demon Lord whispered, "Just be careful, dear."

**x+x+x+x+x**

She would never forgive herself for leaving them alone; Marceline had found a heavily battle-damaged area instead of the hidden grotto where she had left the young couple. There were no signs of them around, no matter how much she searched.

Much to her disgust, the queen felt the Blood Demon's presence striking her senses. She trusted her instincts, which ultimately guided her with precision towards her cursed human friend. The Blood Demon was over Finn, sucking his life energy while he lied defenseless, trapped in a world of eternal slumber.

Marceline had learned the words needed to end with that madness once and for all.

"_Keeth Oth Rama Pancake!" _the queen chanted as her hands performed the required movements that her father had showed her earlier.

The demon faced Marceline with both fear and anger, hissing outraging insults in an ancient language that only the Vampire Queen seemed to understand. Raging flames emerged from nowhere shortly after the spell was cast, banishing the demon from the mortal's world. At least for now…

Marceline flew over Finn; she quickly held the crimson sword's hilt within her trembling fingers and pulled it out of the human's hand as delicately as she could. The vampire tossed the blade far away from Finn in a desperate attempt to keep him safe from its vicious spirit, and then she sat by his side, cradling his unresponsive body in her arms.

"Don't tell me you are dead, weenie…" Marceline pleaded "We won't be able to stand it if we lose you again."

She analyzed her surroundings searching for Flame Princess' body, but the fiery girl was nowhere to be seen. What could she do? Marceline wasn't going to abandon Finn again, but then, who'll look for the fire girl?

Marceline stayed in that state of angst and fear, thinking of Flame P's instability and Finn's worrying unconsciousness until a sharp eagle cry pierced her pointy ears. Her eyes widened in surprise as she identified the sound of wicked fast wings cutting through the wind and a bubblegum-like scent drawing closer and closer with every passing second.

"Could it be?" she wondered "The Morrow?"

A brown shaft dashed over her in a blur and the words _"I'll get Flame Princess back!" _were shouted with determination and a certain spark of ferocity before the giant falcon vanished from sight.

"B-Bonibel…?" the vampire whispered in awe.

"Marceline…!" Those voices calling for her were from her friends.

As if she was living a dream, Marceline slowly turned towards those voices letting a hopeful smile welcome the giant feet of a golden bulldog, a tall muscled woman, a green giant, and a blue old man and his penguin as they all rushed to her side seeking to lend her a helping hand.

"G-guys…" the queen replied weakly, not being able to believe her eyes "Guys!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I know I said that I would update this on January 8th... But since its ready, why shouldn't I post it then? I think it has been enough wait and I hope this chapter was worth it. Sorry if it seems a little messed up or confusing, I didn't rush it but no matter how much I checked it, I still felt it a little messy...

But, anyway it's finally here, so enjoy and see you next week! ^_^


	45. On Hiatus (again)

**The Awakening of Heroes on Hiatus (again)…**

I never thought I'd do this, but I have to put 'The Awakening of Heroes' on hiatus again.

Here's my justification:

It seems that I've stacked my plate with more stuff than I could handle, you see, I'm working on three fics at the same time:

–'**Secretos Compartidos':** As you can see, it's a Flinn story in my native language. I had to put it on hiatus today for the same reason.

–'**Tales of the Alternate Universe':** It's a Farmworld Flinn story. It's shorter and easier to write than 'The Awakening of Heroes' and it's also about to end, so the plan is to finish this fic and then continue with 'The Awakening of Heroes' as usual. If you're not following it, you might want to check it…just saying.

–'**The Awakening of Heroes':** You know I give you 7k words long chapters every week, I don't even know how I've been able to do it with real life and my other fics on my shoulders, but it really takes a lot of time and headaches to get it done in time.

So, for the sake of my mental sanity and my social life (which is somewhat comparable to the Ice King's social life. Seriously.) I'll take a break of three weeks, more or less, from this fanfic.

I apologize for any inconveniences that this may give you, but if I don't do it my brain's going to explode… and I need my brain.

Thanks for your understanding,

SCIK1012


	46. Scorched Feathers!

_Tale 46:_ Scorched Feathers!

The bubblegum princess soared across the darkened skies, chasing at high speed the hideous gargoyle form that her enemy had just acquired. An unconscious fire elemental girl was clutched tightly within his sharp claws, making it hard for Bonnibel to retrieve her back to safety. She clenched her teeth in annoyance as she commanded her eagle to speed up, the ferocity of the wind slashing her soft pink cheeks as she pierced the darkness with the swiftness of an arrow. The Morrow's wings cut through the dense air relentlessly, leaving some brown feathers behind. The falcon was already overexerting itself, but the princess' cries of encouragement were more than enough to power his tired extremities.

Barnabas twisted his head to peek over his shoulder and spotted the giant eagle on his tail. Princess Bubblegum's eyes darted towards his as she unsheathed her Root sword with a deifying manner. An evil smirk was curled on his vicious lips, accepting the challenge. With a flap of his grey demon-like wings, the gargoyle shot his body upwards, flying in a 90˚ angle with the fiery princess still within his grasp. The Candy Princess gripped the Morrow's neck, commanding the bird to follow their foe into the emptiness of the black heavens. The distance between the two winged-creatures diminished as their distance with the ground increased, any rash action could lead to a fatal fall and they were well aware of that fact.

Bubblegum felt some cold drops hitting her face, the storm had ceased a long time ago, but their closeness with the troposphere was altering the weather conditions, turning the environment cooler and hazy. The princess scowled herself mentally for not taking in consideration the risks of the growing height. Now, she and her loyal falcon would have to deal with climatic conditions, threatening to weaken their bodies as they pursued the masked man in attempt to rescue their flaming friend.

"C'mon Morrow, you can do this! I trust you can!" Bonnibel cried between her tensed teeth, receiving an eager screech from the brown eagle in response.

"Hey, Princess Bubblegum!" Barnabas hissed as he turned his monstrous body around to face her, both winged-creatures keeping themselves airborne without advancing towards each other "Is this changeling enough for you and your lovely canary, or shall I make this more interesting?"

"The situation has already taken the best of me, thank you…" Bubblegum replied sternly "Just answer me this, why do need Flame Princess' so badly? Does it have something to do with the seal? What do you want the cosmic weapons for?! Do you serve the Lich in some way?!"

"Ha! Serving the Lich?!" the gargoyle clacked "I live only for myself and nobody else! If I gather the cosmic weapons, it will be only to slay him and take over this world on my own! That is my destiny; I've known it since the discovery of the cosmic tear, but my foolish comrades; Galleon and Pyralis, sealed its power away from me! I'm not suit to handle the strength of my own creations, only _true heroes_ are… Well, I haven't seen those so-called heroes appear yet. My tiny Manticore pet believes that you and your friends are bound to wield the infinite power of the cosmic weapons, but you haven't managed to use them properly either, have you?"

Princess Bubblegum turned her face away, gesturing despair. It was true; none of them had been able to fully understand the nature of the weapons that they had collected so far. Sure, they were planning to use them to take down the Lich King and save the land, but that didn't mean she and the rest of the gang were the ones called to awaken as heroes…

"Heh… Is it uncertainty what I'm spotting on your face, princess?" the hideous creature smirked "Do you understand it now? This young fire elemental here is the key that will unlock the power of the cosmic weapons… Her shattered core is already releasing great waves of intense energy that I can't afford to waste… This might be our only chance; we are both looking forward to get rid of the Lich once and for all… Let me use Flame Princess' untamable fire to destroy the seal, I'll take care of the mighty necromancer, and then you can try to take care of me… How does that sound to you, Princess Bubblegum?"

"That's a very tempting offer…" the sugary princess whispered, holding her sight down "However… I made a promise to my people and my friends…" she raised her head and locked her eyes with his "I promised that I would do everything on my reach to keep them safe and to reestablish the order in Ooo—My word is my law… Hand Flame Princess back… Now."

"I used to believe that you were the wisest of the princesses in the land, but now I see that your foolishness outclasses them all…" The gargoyle took a higher position above her and stretched his left claw "You wish to go down with your kingdom, huh? Then I shall make things easier for you!"

An orb of dark energy seized his hand and was thrown at the candy monarch, who barely managed to duck the blow before it exploded against her body. A new pursuit had begun between the winged-monster and the mighty eagle. This time however; Princess Bubblegum found it harder to keep herself airborne. Multiple shots of dark magic were being fired at her, causing the Morrow to lose his speed. Chasing the gargoyle had suddenly turned out to be an impossible task. Bonnibel's mind ached with the swarm of ideas that were penetrating her brain as she struggled to endure the violence of their air combat; none of them could actually help her to carry out her rescue attempt. Flame Princess was out of her reach, unless…

"_M-my cosmic weapon…!"_ her thoughts resonated in her head as her hand reached her pocket and pulled it out.

Bubblegum stared at the pink sphere in silence, remembering how the weird goblin in the labyrinth used it to switch places constantly and how she had managed to use it to save the gang from being crushed by a giant rock. Marceline had been able to teleport inside the Nightosphere Amulet with it, but making it work wasn't always easy. The sugary princess gripped the metallic ball and focused on trying to communicate with it, almost as if she was praying to it. She felt ridiculous by doing so and the idea was obviously going against her scientific methods, however, she was desperate and couldn't think in anything else.

"_Please listen to me…! I'm appealing to the sapphire encrusted within your electronic system… I know that I might not be the one chosen to bear your power, but I need you to lend me some of it… Just for a while… I'm not willing to use it for my own purposes; I just wish to save a life… A friend's life…"_

Much to her surprise, the humbleness of her words made the sphere react, causing a dim pink glow to engulf it as the princess gasped in amazement. Bubblegum didn't know why, but she suddenly found herself asking the ball if it had listened to her. The fact that the object had replied affirmatively in its own unique way was even more surprising than realizing that her idea had actually worked. Princess Bubblegum then prepared herself for the battle ahead of her, she gripped the Morrow's feathers tightly as her other hand shoved the glowing sphere back into her pocket and then grasped the twisted hilt of her Root sword.

"Okay Morrow…" the pink-haired ruler whispered, "The sphere will keep us safe, it asked me to rely on it, so don't get scared if our flying route is changed drastically… Anything can happen now… Let's go!"

The giant eagle cried fiercely in reply, flapping its large wings vigorously. Both mount and rider had their target on sight, Flame Princess' dim body was being held roughly as she hung unconscious from the gargoyle's hind claws. Barnabas noticed that his enemy was approaching him fast and restarted his shooting without hesitation.

"Perform evasive maneuvers, now!" Bubblegum commanded.

The falcon obeyed, ducking the dark energy fields that exploded around him in all directions. The sugary princess struggled to keep herself at a close slashing range, wishing to have some kind of projectile to fire back instead of a sword during air battles. Avoiding fire and flying close to the enemy was a suicidal tactic, the Morrow was surely having a hard time with this matter, but it was the only way to rescue Flame Princess from the masked man's clutches and impede a massive world-wide catastrophe.

More dark magic was launched towards Princess Bubblegum and her loyal pet, but this time Morrow found himself caught in the middle of the fire. He wouldn't be able to dodge the wild blows in this occasion; however, his rider didn't seem perturbed by the bleakness of the situation. Bubblegum had deposited all her trust in the cosmic weapon that she was carrying with her, now all she could do was to close her eyes and hope for a miracle.

Bonnibel heard her falcon screech in fear, but she remained calmed "Don't panic now, Morrow!" the princess commanded as a deadly blow loomed over them "Just let yourself… Go!"

A pink glint flashed across the sky, blinding Barnabas' vision momentarily. The gargoyle was forced to stop his flight to rub his aching eyes in annoyance "Nice sparkles, princess! But know this, no magic trick will save you tonight!" A blurry field of vision appeared before him, revealing that the giant eagle had vanished from sight "What the—?! Where did they go?!"

"Behind you~!" Princess Bubblegum sang teasingly as the Morrow drew her closer to her opponent. The edge of her pink sword cut his leg as she leaned down to get a hold of the girl in his claws "Got ya, Flame P!"

Bonnibel cradled the fire elemental in her arms, checking on her deteriorating condition worriedly. Her matrix had surpassed its established limit quicker than expected and she never managed to find the promised cure to save her life. The Morrow focused on fleeing from their enemy as fast as possible while his master watched over Flame Princess.

"Blaming myself for this is as useless as feeling regret for your fate, Flame P…" the exhausted monarch smiled softly "If you have to leave us, it'll be better by your friends side than in some evil guy's clutches, don't you think? I know it isn't much, but this is the best happy ending I can give you…"

"If there's any happy ending, that is…!" Barnabas charged against Bubblegum, tackling her and Flame Princess into a mortal fall.

The gargoyle shot himself down as well, catching his fiery prize with his claws once more as Bonnibel screamed helplessly on her way down. The Morrow never abandoned her side; the giant bird launched his body in a free fall, tucking his wings against his sides to gain more momentum. With a swift spin, the falcon managed to catch his master with his claws, stopping her fall right before she could hit the ground.

"Take me up, Morrow!" Princess Bubblegum ordered, not being able to contain her anger and frustration anymore. The bird tossed his rider upwards to get her over his back with a quick stunt "Follow that freak, he's trying to lose us in those nearby mountains! Hurry!"

Barnabas had flown into a cavern, followed closely by the Morrow. Bonnibel searched frantically within the darkness for the young princess' dim glow, making a gesture of distress as she noticed that the masked man had led them into a complex web of subterranean tunnels. Relaying on the pink sphere was their only chance of succeeding now.

"I see her! To the left, c'mon! Max speed, Morrow!"

An intense journey awaited them; their pursuit became ten times harder even with the cosmic weapon teleporting the brown falcon out of danger every now and then. The landscape was treacherous; now the princess and her pet had to focus on avoiding large boulders, narrow rocky passages and sharp stalactites as well as Barnabas' constant fire. Princess Bubblegum grew sick of spinning around and switching from one place to the other sooner than she had thought she would. Her body couldn't handle the pressure anymore; she needed to finish her foe now, otherwise she would end up crashing against a wall in any moment.

"_Get me in front of my enemy, please…" _the pink-haired girl prayed mentally _"I will take the bull by the horns!" _

The metallic sphere's characteristic pink glow engulfed the giant falcon and placed him before his incoming attacker. Morrow never stopped speeding up, he trusted in his princess' wisdom even if it was leading them both to a frontal crash. The bird didn't care if that reckless maneuver was going to injure him greatly; he surely enjoyed the shocked look on his enemy's eyes when they suddenly reappeared before him.

"You wanna get yourself killed?!" Those were the last words that Barnabas could articulate before the eagle's giant body hit him at full speed directly.

The gargoyle was unable to handle the strength of the impact as well as the Morrow, both of them falling towards their doom as they let go of the princesses on their grasps. Bubblegum's vision became blurry as she plunged into the nothing, however, she was able to spot Flame Princess' faint glow just in time to pull her close and teleport with her away from danger thanks to the pink sphere.

The two landed violently inside a wrecked ship in the middle of nowhere. Bonnibel didn't have the time to ask the sphere to take them with the rest of the gang, so the cosmic weapon made the choice by itself. Whether the two princesses were brought before Galleon's tiny paws was just a random coincidence or an action of fate itself, the ruler of the Candy Kingdom didn't care. She chose to ignore that matter… For awhile…

"P-princess Bubblegum…?" the fire girl's voice rang weakly in her ears.

Bubblegum struggled to open her eyes and smiled at the young princess in her arms "The one and only… hehe… You okay?"

Flame Princess clenched her lids closed, as her flames grew dimmer "No..."

"In the holy name of Grod, what the hell are the two of you doing here?!" came the tiny Manticore's raspy voice. The lion-like creature dragged his torn body towards the weary princesses, locking his stressed eyes on the fiery one "Especially you! Don't ya know that you're lying right in the belly of the beast?!" Galleon warned, however...

Princess Bubblegum's eyes widened in horror as they spotted a golden tiara, similar to the one on her head, rolling from within the darkness, followed by the human form of the masked man "Morrow...!" she found herself gasping in disbelief.

"Hehehe… I told you, didn't I?" he hissed, hatred seizing his voice "No magic trick will save you tonight!"

Bonnibel pushed herself up, holding her sword tightly in one hand and her cosmic weapon in the other after laying her agonizing companion delicately in a safe corner. Her hands shivered with fear, anger and determination as she spoke "Well, that's about to be seen!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Short chapter (at least for this story's usual length) but at least it's finally back! Now, I have to apologize because I need your opinion. You see, I'm going back to college soon and this year seems like it's gonna tougher than the last one, so I won't have as much time as usual. That's why I need your opinion, do you prefer longer chapters or faster updates? Longer chapters (7k to 10k words) will take about two weeks to be written, while shorter chapters (2k to 4k) will be updated similar to 'Tales of the Alternate Universe', that's two or three times a week. Sorry I had to make you choose, but I really need to focus on college this year...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Your opinion is always greatly appreciated!

See you sooner or later, I guess it depends on what the majority chooses x)


	47. The Scent of Blood and Roses!

_Tale 47:_ The Scent of Blood and Roses…

Doctor Princess arrived to the spot where the rest of the gang had been waiting for her, gathered around their fallen teammate. She had been in charge of the small boat that they had stolen to escape from Guru Island, shortly after the heroes-to-be jumped into the sea and swam towards their missing friends' side. Ash volunteered to stay in the ship with the penguins at the moment in which its hull touched the sand. Having most of his bones broken, there wasn't really much for him to do besides that. However, Dr. Princess attributed his desire to stay on the shore to his cowardice, after all, one had to be insane to walk into the tangled woods of Devil's Eye Island.

A sigh of relief left her chest when she glimpsed the slender figure of the Vampire Queen knelt beside the unconscious body of the human boy, thanking Glob for keeping her unharmed. The doctor hadn't stopped concerning about Marceline after she let her leave to rescue the fiery princess and Finn on her own, so finding out that the vampire was actually in better conditions than when she last saw her was like being freed of one of the many burdens that rested on her shoulders. She would have hated to see Marceline suffered a similar fate to Huntress Wizard's, who had stayed at Guru Island, engaged in combat with a swarm of flesh-eating zombies. If it hadn't been for her, they wouldn't have been able to reach the docks and escape from there in a stolen ship. Huntress Wizard got the challenge she wished for so badly, the doctor reflected, trying to shake the guilt away.

"All your wounds were healed, I'm amazed!" Doctor Princess exclaimed, approaching the queen.

"Yeah, my father gave me a small hand with that…" Marceline replied, never taking her eyes off her human friend. Her ruby-colored irises noticed a shard of the same color buried in the boy's hand. "Say doc, is it possible to extract this freaking sword shard from Finn's hand without causing him any more damage?"

Jake locked his worried eyes on the doctor, waiting anxiously for her answer. Dr. Princess crouched next to the boy and checked the injury as carefully and patiently as she could, while the Ice King scratched the back of his head nervously. The old ice wizard seemed to be a little uncomfortable because of the amount of blood that had caked human's hand and backed away from the group hesitantly.

"Hmm… I guess that piece of the blade can be removed safely, but even with my medical equipment it might take a good six hours to—Hey!"

Doctor Princess gasped in horror as the Vampire Queen pulled the shard of the Demon Blood sword out of Finn's hand impulsively. A frown was shot towards Marceline, but she simply tossed the broken crimson blade aside, ignoring the doctor's killer stare and standing up expectantly in reply.

"What?" she muttered, "You said that it could be removed safely…"

"D-do you realize how dangerous that was?!" Doctor Princess scowled "You could have damaged a tendon or one of the many tiny muscles that allow his hand movement! That's one of the most complex body parts to operate, thankfully the wound doesn't seem so messed up as I expected, a small surgery will easily—!"

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time for complex medical procedures or whatever." The vampire interrupted "Finn's being affected by some sort of supernatural force…" she crossed her arms as she closed her eyes in an affirmative manner "Ice King, please confirm my suspicion."

"Do I really have to?" the wizard complained in disgust "There's so much blood…egh…!"

"Well, there will be more if you don't hurry!" Marceline yelled, glaring at him with furious red eyes.

The Ice King gulped fearfully at her sudden violent snap and obeyed without speaking another trembling word of disagreement. Leaning over the boy, the old man proceeded to blink one time, switching to his wizard eyes. An awful dimension of bizarre creatures and roaming spirits opened before him.

"Grod! I'd rather touch the blood, this is so nasty!" he squealed "Huh?! I see lots of spirits, tormented souls and stuff, but Finn's definitively not among us! His body is like an empty shell, oh dear, oh dear!"

"But… Finn's right there!" A voice that hadn't been heard in awhile exclaimed. Susan Strong crouched down, pointing Finn's body "Susan's eyes see him!"

"Yeah, but that's just his physical body…" Marceline said, "His soul was sent to somewhere else. We have to find out where and bring him back, however—…" the Vampire Queen snapped out of her explanation, turning her face towards another direction. Worry and fear filled her eyes. She caught Jake reacting in the same way; his small ears had been perked up as he covered his mouth with his two paws. "You heard that too, didn't you?" Abadeer inquired.

The bulldog nodded nervously, his body was shivering and his face had turned paler, causing the others to wonder what had just happened. The Ice King felt unsure about asking, but he dared to do it for the sake of his curiosity.

"Wh-what are you t-talking about?"

"A scream…" Marceline whispered with a soft voice "It was a scream…! Glob, it froze my blood… Bonnibel… I-I think—It was her!" the vampire shrieked, covering her mouth in horror "Groddamnit, I almost forgot! She went to face the masked creep on her own! Bonnibel needs our help!"

"Ugh…ummm…ah! But what about Finn?!" Jake mumbled in frustration.

"We'll take him to the ship." Billy assured firmly.

"No." the Vampire Queen commanded "I think I might know how to help Finn, I'll take him to the ship! You must go aid Princess Bubblegum, Froggy!"

"Right. I'll take care of the masked man then!" the legendary hero sprinted towards the woods, calling his sword with a loud clear voice "Nothung…!"

"Susan not good with medicine stuff, Susan better at fighting!" the sturdy woman dashed behind Billy, using her four extremities to gain impulse and then sprinted forward with her legs "Susan more useful that way!"

Marceline knelt to pick up Finn from the ground, but she immediately regretted doing so. The vampire backed away from the human, embracing her own shuddering body tightly. Doctor Princess eyed her with concern, noticing how her fangs grew larger and her eyes lost their natural glitter.

"I-is… Is something wrong with you?" the medic inquired stepping closer, causing Marceline to move further away from her.

"I-I'm just…" the queen stammered wearily "The stench of blood coming out of him is so strong, so captivating, _so delicious…!"_ she slammed herself against a tree as punishment for saying that "I'm sorry, my blood-sucking instincts are hard to control when they are running so wildly… Just take the weenie to the ship and get rid of the smell! I-I'll catch up with you later…"

"We…we…we better do what she says…" a horrified Jake warned, dragging the doctor and the ice wizard out of the scene "She freaks the heck out of me whenever she behaves like that! N-nothing personal, Marcy…"

"JUST GO!" the vampire shrieked.

"Sweet blessed name of my mommy in heaven, run guys! Run!"

Marceline rolled her eyes as she watched the bulldog and the rest of her companions fleeing away from her. _Fleeing. _Even though she ordered them to do so, it still pained her to know that she could be such a dangerous threat to the lives of her friends. It had been centuries since the last time that the Vampire Queen felt so tempted to kill something; she hated it. She would always hate what she had been turned into; it was something hard to handle, but that was her nature. That curse was a part of herself, she had to accept what she was and try to get the best of it, just like her father said.

Every living being in the island was revealed to her sharp senses; there was no hiding from her. "I'm sorry…" the vampire whispered as she locked her sight on a deer "But no shade of red can calm my thirst tonight… I have to let the hunt begin."

A fierce growl echoed in the distance followed by the desperate shriek of an animal and then...silence...

**x+x+x+x+x**

A group of curious penguins were gathered around the bed where Finn was left to rest. Jake was staring at them, not really thinking in anything in specific. All he wanted was to find his brother and end with that nightmare, but only Marceline had a clue of how to get the human boy back and she had already been gone for hours. The dog sighed anxiously while his paws tapped the floor anxiously.

"Hmmngh… Where the math is she?!" he moaned.

"Who? Carmen Sandiego?" the Ice King replied obliviously.

"What the—? You know perfectly of whom I'm talking about! Marceline, where is she?!" Jake yelled, stretching his body towards the looney old man in an imposing manner.

"She's outside." Ash assured. The undead wizard was lying on a separate bed next to Finn; his eyes were focused on the screen of Jake's portable version of Kompy's Kastle. "I can hear her complain about her existence through the window, hmm… yeah… No wonder she's so grumpy all the time." The golden bulldog stopped strangling the Ice King and ran out of the ship. His stretched arm invaded the room some moments later to snatch his video game from Ash's grasp. "Hey! What the hell, man?!"

"You're still a jerk!" Jake barked from the outside.

He walked with a hurried pace over the soft sand, following the sound of splashing water. Marceline was sitting in the shore, hitting the sea with exasperation. The dog gulped in fear as he approached her, he had gotten over his vampire phobia since he got used to Marceline's presence some years ago, but he couldn't deny that her recent wild behavior had weakened his trust in her.

"Fuck my life…!" the vampire complained as she washed her hands in the salty water "Why is it so damn difficult to wash the smell of blood away?!" she suddenly raised her head and peeked over her shoulder "Jake…?"

The dog froze in fear almost immediately "Umm! Ugh… Hi!" he greeted nervously.

"Oh… I'm sorry you had to hear that…" Marceline said softly, ashamed of her vocabulary "I'm okay now, you don't have to feel afraid of me anymore… Though, I wouldn't blame you if you decide to run away. I know that your nose can perceive the scent in my hands, for both of us, they are still stained with blood..."

Jake tilted his head and relaxed his shoulders; there wasn't a hint of malevolence or mischievousness in her voice as usual, just sadness and sincerity. The bulldog sensed an immense feeling of sympathy towards the Vampire Queen flooding his guts; there was no need to be so harsh with her just for being a dark creature, even if that didn't make any sense at all.

"I-I'm not—… I won't run away, Marcy…" he whispered, walking into the water to sit by her side "Are you alright?"

"I don't know… Sometimes I wonder how being dead is a lot more painful than being alive…" the queen whispered, "It makes you think, you know… How is it that the Lich, the masked creep, and even my father treasure so much their immortality? Why do they crave to live forever…? For power, for supremacy, just to rule the world? What's so cool about that? Maybe if I could see it, I wouldn't feel so damned all the time…"

Jake sighed deeply, letting the tide stroke his fur "Listen… I'm not the smartest guy of the guys that are smart but—… Don't you think that if you could see that, you would be…sort of…evil as well?"

Marceline chuckled "So you don't believe that I'm actually evil?"

His nerves took the best of him this time "I uh… well…" the dog scratched the back of his head, searching for an answer "Finn doesn't, and if he sees no evil in you then why should I? It took me months to understand that, you know."

"Finn…" the vampire smiled "It's nice to hear that kind of stuff when I'm having trouble to understand my true nature… How can someone like me not be evil? I'm the Vampire Queen, daughter of the Lord of Evil… I even attempted to kill you once, yet you're here, trying to soothe me… I… Why is everything so confusing all of a sudden?"

She pulled her silver cross out of her pocket and showed it to him "It's all because of this stupid thing! I tried to use it to save Finn from the demon in his sword, but its power bounced back at me, burning my hand! The cosmic weapon considers me evil, I guess. It only helped me to beat the Vampire King 'cause he was a greater threat to the world… At least, that's what I think…"

"Marceline," Jake began after a few minutes of awkward silence "As far as I know, not even Princess Bubblegum understands how the cosmic weapons work. They are wicked mysterious! Just—answer this… Why do think that being immortal ain't good for you?"

Marceline frowned as she blew her black locks away from her face "What's the point of answering that?!"

"Just say it, c'mon!"

"Well I… Living forever might be cool if… if it wasn't so lonely…" the vampire embraced her chest and rubbed her cold arms gently "Everyone you get to meet and love grows old and dies while you stay the same… Time passes you by, but it doesn't take your life away…only your memories… Sure, I could hang out with other undead folks like me, but they are all floating pieces of—! Never mind…"

Jake laughed a little, guessing what she was about to say. However, his laughter faded away when he felt Marceline's hand petting his golden fur in a tender manner.

"You know, Jake? I never felt truly alive until I met y'all…" the queen stated with melancholy "Bonnibel, Finn, you…and of course the rest of the band… I don't wanna be immortal and I don't wanna have all these powers if—if that means watching you all die…" cold tears rolled down her pale cheeks "I've grown so fond of you… If I could free myself from this curse, I would do it."

The magic dog smiled warmly at Marceline, warping his long stretchy arms around her and pulled her close "You're not bad, Marcy. Evil dudes like the Lich can't feel love, but you—nobody cares as much for her friends as you do, I mean, you even saved us from yourself awhile ago…! Just think about it, Marceline…

"You stinky fleabag…" Marceline whispered as she returned the hug "How dare you make me cry like a grown-up baby?" she sobbed "Thank you…"

"That's what friends are for, right?" Jake chuckled "Wait, did you just call me fleabag?!"

"Stinky fleabag." The vampire corrected, finally acting more like her usual self. She reached out for a small pouch that she had been carrying on her belt and showed it to him "You see this? It's magic powder; Ash gave it to me, stating that the masked man likes to mess with people's minds. That's were Finn is. He must be trapped somewhere inside his mind…" A grin was drawn across her face "Do you wanna help me rescue him?"

"Are you kiddin'?!" Jake exclaimed, wagging his small tail happily "Don't you worry Finn, Jake and Marcy are coming for you!"

**x+x+x+x+x**

Princess Bubblegum struggled to breathe, but the pressure on her chest was way too much. Her trembling hands gripped the heavy leg that was crushing her against the ground in one last attempt to free her body from its weight. Her foe's laughter pierced her brain as she groaned in pain.

"What a bad luck, I think that I just stepped on a piece of gum… Hope it isn't too hard to clean off my shoe!" Barnabas yelled as he pressed his foot against the princess with even more strength.

Bubblegum screamed, not being able to withstand the torture anymore. If only she could reach her sword, she would stab his foot and kick him away. But the Root sword lied far away from her, thrust into the wooden floor and into the tiny Manticore's wing to prevent him from aiding the princesses. The pink sphere wasn't going to provide any help either; its cosmic power had abandoned the candy monarch shortly after the battle started. Why did those weapons have to be so unpredictable?

Bonnibel knew that she wasn't a warrior, she didn't have the strength or the skill to save anyone's life, not even her own. Tempted to accept her defeat, the pink-haired princess stopped her struggle and lay at her enemy's mercy. "That's it, I'm done…" she thought. However, the heat of a fireball exploding on the masked man's back caused her to change her mind.

Barnabas received the unexpected hit directly, getting a heavy load of damage from it and his violent crash against a wall. The demonic man rose from the debris, searching frantically for his mysterious attacker. A grim chuckle left his lips upon finding her.

"You looked so lame going all 'waaah!' through the air, heh… That was priceless…" Flame Princess teased with difficulty, a satisfied smile gracing her tired features as she lowered her shaking arm back to the floor.

"Shut up, you foolish girl…!" Galleon breathed weakly "If you still had some energy left, why didn't you use it to escape?! Can't you see that you are the only one standing between total annihilation and our salvation?!"

"Escape…?" the young princess giggled as she watched the masked man looming upon her numb body, "He would have caught me anyway, besides, that would have been shameful… It's much better this way… Heroes look cooler when they are about to be defeated…heh…"

"Those were some amusing final words, princess..." Barnabas laughed as his hand gripped Flame Princess' neck and lifted her off the floor "Heh… I'd like to know where did you get those stupid ideas before I rip your elemental matrix off your chest…"

A defiant glimmer filled the girl's amber eyes just as a confident smirk appeared on her courageous face "I learned them from the same person that will kick your ugly butt 'till you weep for mercy like a puppy...!" she closed her eyes, softening her smile "Finn…"

"Is that so?" The silver-masked sorcerer inquired, "I'd love to see him try!" he challenged, burying his claws deep within her chest, being her tortured screams a delight to his ears.

"No, FLAME PRINCESS!" Bubblegum shrieked in desperation, wishing to be awakened from that nightmare once and for all.

**x+x+x+x+x**

His blue eyes opened at the sound of those hopeless cries. However, he was completely oblivious of their source. Finn woke up to meet a peaceful sky above him, there were a few fluffy clouds floating beneath it and he smiled at the tranquil sight, feeling soothed from all his pain.

The boy rose up to a sitting position to take a better look of his surroundings, he was alone in the middle of a large meadow. Everything around him had a bright shade of green, except for the soft pink of some rosebushes, growing not very far from him. Finn decided to walk towards them, feeling spellbound by their sweet perfume. How could the young hero know that he was trapped in a fake world of tricky illusions? How could he know that he was approaching a deadly trap?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Alright, it'll be shorter chapters and faster updates then. Thanks for helping me out with this and for understanding my situation, you know, with college getting in the way :)

I was reading some early chapters the other day and I realized that this fic needs to go through some serious editing, if there's any Beta or just someone with better grammar than mine out there, the help would be greatly appreciated.

That's all I guess, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. See you next time!


	48. Until the Very End!

_Tale 48:_ Until the Very End!

"How do you know that this is a good idea?" Flame Princess whispered on Finn's ear as the two teenagers crouched behind a stone fence.

It was a bright sunny morning on Guru Island and the Train had granted the heroes-to-be a free day to rest and recover some of their energy. After all, the strength of a warrior was not only measured by the size of his muscles, but for the wisdom of his spirit as well, and making his students happy was a wise choice.

So, while the Vampire Queen snuggled on her bed and the rest of the team prepared themselves to spend the whole day at the beach, Finn and the princess of flames scurried out of Doctor Princess' home to follow the legendary hero, Billy. The giant man wasn't interested in wasting his time building sand castles or swimming in the sea. He just left his friends, strolling calmly with his hands buried in his pockets. Billy never said where he was heading to or what was he planning to do on his own. Thus, his mysterious behavior had awakened the young human's curiosity and this one had somehow transmitted such interest to his girlfriend.

"Following Billy is always a good idea!" Finn replied, "We're literally following his footsteps! I tell you, he's going to do something awesome and we are going to be there to see it!" the boy threw his arms open and smiled widely "We'll be learning from the best! Doesn't that make you excited?"

"I'm hungry." The fiery girl sighed in response, causing her boyfriend to look down in disappointment.

"But you were the one who wanted to know what an amazing hero Billy was…!" he insisted.

"Yeah, I know." Flame Princess defended "It's just that… All the tales that you told me about him were thrilling and impressive, and I thought that this was going to be exciting but…" She peeked at the green man again "The guy's just walking around aimlessly and it's already lunch time…"

The human boy furrowed his brow as he laid his hands on the princess' shoulders "Listen, I'm as hungry as you are, but we gotta put some effort into this! What if something incredible happens and we miss it just because we wanted to munch somethin', huh?"

"Alright, alright! I get the point—Ouh! What's he doing?" the fiery girl got sidetracked as she spotted the legendary hero doing something that her still naïve mind couldn't understand "Why is he walking behind that tree? And why is he pulling his pants down?"

"Flame P! No!" Finn shouted, covering her eyes with his hand "Don't look at that!"

"But I don't even know what's he doing!" the young princess complained.

"That's just men's secret biz!" the human whispered.

Flame Princess tilted her head in confusion "What?"

Finn rolled his eyes and whispered in her ear.

"Ohhh…!" the girl giggled, "He needed to pee!"

"Don't just say it aloud, FP! That's not polite!" the young hero scowled, blushing in embarrassment.

"Well, I don't think that spying on people is polite either!" Flame Princess laughed, "Just _look _what happened!"

"Hey, it's not my fault that you can't identify when a man is about to use the bathroom!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know that if girls never do that!" her cheeks flushed slightly as she joked "Do you want me to follow you the next time you gotta do some 'men's biz'?"

"What?!" Finn shrieked, his face painted in red "Y-you were just kidding, right? Glob Flame Princess, you outta stop hanging out with Marceline!"

"Ahem…!" Both human and fire elemental teenagers raised their heads to meet the puzzled eyes of the legendary hero as he stared at them, arms crossed. The two fourteen-year-olds grinned nervously, waving back at him as if they had just met casually "Uh-huh… spill the beans now, will ya? You two, younglings were spying me, why?"

"Because we just wanted to see—!" Finn was about to reply, but his girlfriend got in the way before he could finish his phrase.

"Because Finn was being stubborn about how awesome you are and he insisted on following you!"

"Thanks, FP…" the boy rolled his eyes "I really appreciate your support…"

Billy arched an eyebrow, keeping an emotionless look on his face "You kids wanna see something awesome?" he asked, much to Finn and Flame Princess' surprise.

"Yes, please!" The two exclaimed with infinite excitement.

The giant man chuckled at them and strode towards a large tree, which size outclassed every building on the island. Billy embraced its trunk and bent his knees, using all his strength to uproot it from the earth with no difficulty or struggle. The young hero and the princess gasped in awe as they peeked into the hole that the tree had left in the ground and then stared back at the imposing man, who was still holding its trunk with both arms.

"N-neat…!" Flame Princess exclaimed, watching how Billy planted the large tree back in its place.

"Yeah… that was just… Algebraic…!" Finn cried enthusiastically, his eyes glittering in respect and admiration "But that wasn't as algebraic as his fight with the Steel Titan, right Billy?!"

"Boy, I almost got killed in that battle!" the legendary hero smiled as he took a seat before the young couple on the grass "Just take a look at the scar on my shoulder, I tell you, that was one hell of a battle…!"

"I know, but! When the Titan had you on the ground and he was about to rip your heart out of your chest, you managed to headbutt him and made him miss his strike, causing that wound on your shoulder, and then you called out for Nothung and 'slash!' You sliced his head off and you collapsed on the cold ground like the great and mighty hero that you are, with blood and scrapes covering every muscle in your body!"

"You think that's… 'algebraic'?" the fiery girl asked in curiosity.

"Heck, yeah! Heroes always look cooler when they are about to be defeated!" the adventurer replied, throwing his gripped fists into the air "Don't they, Billy?"

The giant scratched his reddish beard for a moment before answering "If by that you mean that coolest hero is the one that holds on 'till the very end, then yeah…"

"Mathematical…!" the couple exclaimed in wonder, praising the awesomeness of the man before them.

"Finn, I can't wait to have one of those epic battles that you've told me about!" Flame Princess claimed eagerly "I wanna see if I can hold on 'till the very end, sounds challenging!"

"It is challenging…" the human replied, crossing his arms with a certain air of pride.

The young princess stared at him in bewilderment "Have you had plenty of those battles?"

"Yep." He nodded.

"Finn, you're just as cool as Billy!"

Finn blushed as he scratched the back of his head "Well, I don't think so… I mean, like Billy? Nah… hehe…"

"No, seriously! I can't wait for my turn to fight in the verge of life and death!"

"Flame P, please don't say that stuff…" the human boy begged as he held her hands in his "I don't really want to see you in that kind of situation, really, you're already…cool enough for me…"

"Finn…" Flame Princess smiled softly as her cheeks grew brighter than normal.

**x+x+x+x+x**

"Finn…" she smiled in the same way, ignoring the severe pain that was striking her body as her elemental matrix was being torn out of her chest "I'm glad you're not here to see this…"

The masked man tossed the now bluish body of the fire elemental onto the ground; she was no use for him now. Her power, the infinite source of her destructive might was in his hands now. It was a shattered orb, blazing with waves of flames and energy. Some distorted sparks escaped from it, emphasizing the cause of its own instability. It was just too much power for someone as young and inexperienced as the princess of flames.

"This outstanding amount of power was never meant to be yours, believe me…" Barnabas chuckled, eyeing the defeated girl "It was more of a curse than a blessing for you. I just freed you from an unbearable burden… You should be grateful, Flame Princess!"

Princess Bubblegum refused to stay on the ground doing nothing, but watching the terrifying scene before her. With some effort, Bonnibel managed to push herself up, ignoring the masked man's monologue. They had already been defeated, she didn't need to be reminded of that over and over again, much less listen to some evil guy bragging about his immeasurable power. At that instant Bubblegum had only one goal to achieve, she had to aid her fallen friend.

Once at Flame Princess' side, the noble ruler proceeded to take off her hooded sweater and used it to cover fiery girl's body as its temperature began to descend at an exaggerated rate. Then, Bubblegum rocked the girl on her arms, making herself sure to check her vital signs. A weak smile seized her lips; Flame Princess was still alive and determined to keep holding on until the very end.

"That's it…" Princess Bubblegum whispered "I want you keep your eyes open 'till we find a way to get us out of here…"

"'Cause we'll get out…" Flame Princess grinned softly "dead or alive…"

"Dead or alive…" replied Bubblegum with an assuring smile.

"Dead or alive?" the masked man hissed, "Who gave you an alternative? Your destiny is not yours to choose… Not anymore!"

With that last defying statement, Barnabas lunged over the two princesses ready to deliver the final blow. However, he was never able to reach them with his poisoned claws. A pair of strong hands had caught him in midair during his attack to quickly toss him with ferocity towards the opposite direction. It was Billy. The legendary hero had arrived along with the wild hyooman, hoping to rescue their missing teammates.

"Quick! We gotta get you outta here!" Billy exclaimed, crouching down next to the princesses while Susan Strong prepared her fists in case she had to use against the masked man.

Barnabas wasn't affected by Billy's attack at all; he wasn't even feeling dizzy from the vigorous strike that had just received. It just made him even more determined to kill them all once and for all. Susan noticed him standing up and acquired an offensive stand, commanding Billy to drive the wounded princesses to safety while she acted as a distraction.

"You'll never make it by yourself!" shouted the legendary hero.

"It doesn't matter! Susan feels that she's finally in the place where she needs to be. Leave now, we meet later!"

The old giant was reluctant of his partner's decision, but he chose to obey anyway. It was a matter of live or dead now. Flame Princess needed special attention and she had to get it as fast as possible, for who knows how much can a fire elemental last without its source of power and heat.

"Where to now, Princess?" the hero asked as he ran away from the wrecked ship.

Bubblegum held Flame Princess' body against hers tightly, hoping to share her corporal warmth with her. "Only a fire elemental will be able to tell us how to save her… We need to take her to her father's side!"

Billy clenched his teeth and nodded in response, his green eyes drifting towards the dying flames of the young princess "Say, how are ya feelin'?" he asked gently "Think you'll make it to the Lumpy Space Kingdom?"

Flame Princess remained silent for a moment as she evoked her memory of that lazy afternoon on Guru Island. At least Finn wasn't there to see her in that agonizing condition. She smiled though, Finn was right. Holding on was challenging, but she was going to try. She wanted to be with him again. He had talked her about a bright future waiting for them at the end of the battle, and she was definitively going to live to share it with him…

"Yeah…" the fiery girl whispered "I'm gonna carry on... 'till the very end…"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I told you I was going to return, didn't I? Hahaha, well, I'm gonna try to keep updating this story more frequently now. I just have write at least 500 words before going to bed after finishing my homework everyday! However, I'm going to take it easy, 'cause college is killing me. But don't worry, you won't have to wait five months for another update. Thank you so much for waiting! I hope you enjoyed this small chapter! See ya!


	49. Tangled in a Jungle of Memories!

_Tale 49:_ Tangled in a Jungle of Memories!

The Vampire Queen avoided eye contact with everyone on the ship except for Jake, who could perceive with his own ears the same drowned echoes of painful moans and screams, coming from afar. Those were the suffering voices of their friends… Marceline shook her head with an exasperated sigh and focused on the task before her. She had to devote her energy and attention to the things that were on her reach. Finn was still lying on one of the small individual beds that Doctor Princess had improvised to treat her wounded patients during the journey.

His bear hat had been removed by the caring doctor, as well as his clothes, while she proceeded to wash the dry blood off them. Finn didn't need to wake up and find himself in those dirty garments, and well, that would also help to keep the vampire's instincts under control. An old blanket was now the only protection between his delicate human flesh and the harmful world around him.

"Don't worry Finn, we're coming for ya…" Marceline whispered softly. She then walked outside, followed by the magical dog and the greenish doctor. "Listen Doc, I'm about to leave and I'll have to take Jake with me. That means that you'll be on your own, with our unconscious bodies, and that living burden called Ash…"

"Hey! I can't help it if my bones are all jacked up!" the undead wizard complained in the distance.

"As I was saying," the Vampire Queen continued, catching Doctor Princess' attention once again "You'll have to depend on the Ice King to survive. Hopefully, you'll find a way to make him understand that we aren't playing penguin games here, and convince him to get serious at least until the others return…" she gulped unperceptively "That is… if they return…"

"Don't worry; I'm aware of the danger ahead." The doctor assured "I'll handle this with extreme caution."

"Great." Marceline nodded "In any case, I'll have a word or two with the old man, just to be sure…"

Jake stood beside Marceline the whole time, though he did nothing but to nod and play with his hands as the conversation between her and the doctor went by. He could have said something; he actually wanted to say something. However his nerves forced him to keep his mouth shut. The magical dog knew very well that if he dared to speak a word, he would end up shouting that the rest of the team was in a state of severe danger. He couldn't let himself alter Doctor Princess with that sort of bad news. It was during times like these that Jake felt a little envious of Marceline's stoniness.

"Jake!" the vampire's voice drove him out of his anxious thoughts "Are you gonna stay there forever or what?"

"Um… You go get the Ice King…!" he mumbled shyly "I-I'll hang in here… for a while…"

The Queen simply limited herself to roll her eyes and wander off with a soft growl. Jake was good friend, alley, partner and all that, but his sentimentalism turned him into an annoyance at times. And talking about sentimentalism, Marceline still needed to find a way of protecting a special something that she had been carrying for a while now. The vampire scurried quickly out of everyone's gazes and once she felt safe, she untied Hambo's arms off her bass' strap and held him gently.

"What am I going to do with you, huh?" Marceline whispered as she caressed the torn teddy bear's face tenderly "There's no way I can let you come with me… It's too dangerous…"

It felt natural for her to talk with that raggedy doll after so many centuries of resignation, those years when Hambo was missing. Marceline slid down to the ground until she rested her tired body against an old trunk, she embraced the old toy in her arms and snuggled her pale face against the tattered plush that was Hambo's body. It gave her comfort, because no matter how much you grow, whenever life gets too hard and lonely, you'll never be too old to hug your teddy bear.

"Wow… Now I've seen everything…!" the Ice King gasped, causing a certain vampire to jump of her seat and hide her plushy friend behind her back.

"W-where did you come from?!" she yelled, clearly annoyed by the wizard's unexpected presence.

The Ice King tilted his head to one side in an innocent manner "Why are you mad at me? I was just taking Gunter to the bathroom…!" he complained.

"Wenk!"

Marceline shook her head and sighed, "Fine, sorry… I don't feel like the same Marceline today…"

"Well, you were yelling at me. As far as I can remember (which is not that much), you, Marceline, are always getting mad at me… so…"

"I'm not –! I'm not always mad at you!" the millenarian vampire replied, sensing a hint of guilt inside her chest.

"Don't worry about it!" the Ice King said, trying to free her from her own guilt "Everyone's always mad at me. All the time…" then he leaned over to her ear and whispered, "I think it's because they're all jealous of my implicit magnificence! Hehehe…!"

Marceline made some steps away from him and folded her arms onto her chest, smiling weakly "Yeah… I bet they all are." She sighed "Sorry for yelling, again…"

"Man! What's up with you being sorry about everything now, huh? Where's yer spirit, girl?" he flew up to her face and stretched her mouth into a smile, pulling her cheeks with his blue hands "Send a pretty smile to the world, c'mon!"

The Vampire Queen remained stoic for a few seconds before she decided to smack the Ice King away of her face, pretending annoyance although she had found his meddling funny. However, there was no way she'd show that. "Right, yeah, I got it. Thank you." Marceline said, watching him bounce on the sand "What I mean is that… I'm worried, about the future, you know…"

The Ice King remained on the ground, curling himself up to a sitting position as he buried his skinny legs within the cold sand. "Oh well, you know what the old song says…" Gunter rushed up to his legs, carrying more sand with him and continued to pile up the dirt on his master "_Que sera, sera…? whatever will be, will be… _Sometimes we can't just–…"

The wizard was forced to stop his explanation as a more melodic voice continued with the song.

"_The future's not ours to see… Que sera, sera…?_" sang Marceline as she took a seat next to him. Gunter continued to bury the old king with the wet sand.

"Hey, that's what I wanted to hear! Keep it on, Marceline!" the Ice King replied cheerfully.

"_What will be, will be…"_ the two concluded in unison.

"Very good…!" the icy wizard exclaimed "Now let's sing 'Twinkle twinkle, Little Star!"

"Pffft! You're so full of it, Old-timer!" Marceline chuckled in amusement.

The Ice King arched one eyebrow "Full of what?" he then noticed Gunter's sand castle, towering in front of his pointy nose "Hey! What the hey, Gunter?! I mean, hey!"

"Wenk!" the penguin blinked.

The old man swung his arms against the pile of dirt, bringing it down and then snorted in annoyance, turning his head towards Marceline "What are ya lookin' at, huh? There's something on ma face or what?" he protested as the vampire kept staring at him with a beautiful smile plastered on her face.

"Would you quit that now, Marceline?" The Ice King complained anxiously "I know I told ya to smile to the world and all, but you're making me nervous!"

"Huh? I was… smiling?" The Vampire Queen whispered in surprise "H-how come? I wasn't even aware of it…" she held her head on her hand "Grob…everything's falling apart…"

"Besides Gunter's tower, what else is falling apart, huh?"

Marceline stared at the Ice King with an unusual combination of sadness and annoyance in her eyes "Nothing, forget it." She pulled Hambo out "Say, can I ask you a favor?"

"A favor?" the old man gasped.

"Would you please…" her cheeks blushed dimly in embarrassment "Take care of this little guy while I'm gone?"

Marceline handed him the old stuffed animal and he received it with his shaky hands. For a second a connection was formed between the two millenarian souls. However, it quickly faded away as Marceline let go of Hambo's arm, rejecting that mysterious bond. The Ice King watched her dumbfounded as she stood up and walked away, her hands buried in her pockets. The vampire made a brief pause, but she didn't turn around to face him again.

"I beg you," she pleaded "Don't let anything bad happen to him… and… stay safe, please…"

"I will, Marceline." The wizard said, following her with his misty gaze as she floated away.

"Wenk?" Gunter asked in concern.

"I dunno, Gunter… I just feel like crying now, okay?!" the Ice King shouted in embarrassment "Men cry, okay?!"

Everything was falling apart within her. Marceline felt uneasy about how the thousand layers of masks that she had built over the years continued to crumble, as she kept growing fond of her teammates. She felt exposed to the world now, unprotected and weak. She could no longer hide what she felt inside. How annoying…

**x+x+x+x+x**

Jake walked into the small ship and sat by Finn's side. His big round eyes wandered aimlessly across the human's face as he continued to reflect on Finn's condition. He was supposed to be the boy's older brother; it was his duty to keep Finn safe and sound until the end of that perilous journey. Sadly, this was the second time that the magical dog had to contemplate his little brother's unconscious body. What was he doing to protect Finn? Where was he when the young hero needed his help so desperately?

"Oh Finn, don't worry…" Jake sighed, "Your big bro is coming to save you!"

"So I guess that means you're ready to go, huh?" Marceline's voice whispered from behind, causing some chills to run down Jake's spine.

"Marceline! You scared me!" the dog barked, pressing his paw against his beating heart.

This brought a small satisfied grin onto the vampire's features "Heh, I thought you had gotten over your fear towards those of my kind already."

"And I thought that we were going to rescue Finn!" Jake barked again, trying to appear brave before Marceline.

"Yeah, you're right." she pulled out the small pouch of magic powder that Ash had given her "Let's not lose our time, shall we?"

And with those last words and a confident nod from the golden bulldog, the Vampire Queen tossed the golden powder against the floor, bathing their bodies with it. In an instant, both Jake and Marceline collapsed onto the ground, drifting into Finn's mind.

**x+x+x+x+x**

A gentle breeze and the faint warmth of the sun welcomed her to a new, but strangely familiar world. Marceline struggled to push herself off the soft fresh grass where her spiritual body had been lying. Her crimson eyes navigated through the landscape, searching for a sign of Jake or even of Finn. Unexpectedly, Marceline was soon hit by the realization of her being totally exposed to the sun. Her instincts screamed, telling her to look for shelter, but she was unable to do so.

The sunlight wasn't hurting her. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she was simply walking through one of Finn's memories, or maybe it was because her physical body had been left behind in the real world. In any case, the Vampire Queen decided to stay on that spot for a few more minutes. It had been so long since the last time that such a pure form of warmth and light had caressed her cold undead skin.

"The sun feels…nice…" Marceline whispered as she let her now blinded eyes adjust to the light "I had forgotten about it…"

"Mmm…Yeah… I was missing this as well!" Came Jake's sudden reply "You know, because of all the storms and stuff…"

"How long have you been here, pal?" the queen inquired, landing her hand on her waist.

"Nah, I just woke up next to you." The dog made a quick scan of his surrounding's "So I guess we are inside Finn's memories now, right? But how the math are we going to find him without the glowing spell thingy on our foreheads?"

"I don't know." Marceline answered calmly "If we just keep wandering around fourteen years of stockpiled memories, it could take us hours, days, or even weeks to find Finn…"

"_Whaaa! Heck no! Leave my butt alone, you weird piece of plant!" _the young human's voice echoed in the distance.

Marceline crossed her arms, tilting her head downwards "Or it could take us a few seconds…" she sighed.

"Hang on, Finn! We are coming for you!" Jake shouted as he ran towards his brother's voice on his four extremities.

Two minutes later, Marceline and Jake found themselves running across a flowered meadow. There was no sign of Finn in the distance, but his enraged battles cries keep growing closer as the magical dog and the Vampire Queen got deeper inside a mysterious rose garden, which seemed to have grown from out of nowhere. As they ran deeper and deeper inside that marvelous garden, a sweet scent began to emerge from the rosy bushes. It cast a relieving sensation on the two heroes-to-be, lowering their hasty pace until they reached a slow walking speed.

"Ugh… my poor sensitive nose hurts, but this smell is so enchanting that I can't…" Jake was forced to fall onto the soft cozy grass, not being able to move any longer.

Marceline struggled to avoid falling under the roses' paralyzing effect. However, her dizzy senses and blurry vision forced her to crumble on her knees as well. How couldn't her see that coming? She should have foreseen that they were running into a trap since the roses aroused before them in such a mysterious way.

"Wha—…? What's this…?" the black-haired girl whispered, still trying to resist the urge to fall asleep. "J-Jake… Do you…?" she made an attempt to ask something, knowing that only Jake could tell her if Finn had ever run across such a weird trap before. After all, they were living one of the boy's memories.

"I think I remember… that day…near the Haunted Swamp…ugh…" a snore followed the bulldog's reply as this one gave up to the soothing sensation that those cursed flowers had cast upon him.

The Haunted Swamp, those words were more than enough to trigger a certain notion of suspicion on Marceline. She stretched her hand to reach one of the many roses that were surrounding her; she then pulled it off its shrub and sank her fangs on its petals, sucking the now strong hue of red that used to embellish them. Its taste awoke her dizzy senses, as its flavor pumped adrenaline throughout her entire body. It was the taste of blood.

"I knew it!" Marceline exclaimed, rising from her kneeling position. All her senses were now revitalized. "These aren't normal roses! This is a Leech Creeper!"

Finn's groans kept resonating in her ears as she thought of a way of getting rid of all those annoying rose bushes. A quick idea struck her brain as the memory of her first fight against Finn flashed through her mind. Marceline acquired a bent position and gripped her fists, forcing every muscle in her back to stretch outwards. A pair of torn bat wings sprouted on her shoulders and she lost no time in using them to create a powerful gale that blew the scented roses and the delicate bushes away, revealing a crawling mass of vines and thorns.

The Vampire Queen folded her bestial wings within her back, raising her body upwards to meet the desperate stare of her human friend. Finn's body had been wrapped by the spiky and flexible stem of the Leech Creeper, a hideous plant that fed itself with the blood of those unfortunate enough to be deceived by the beautiful appearance of its rose shrub disguise.

"M-Marceline?! H-how did you?!" the boy tried to speak, but the vines around his neck got tighter, cutting his words off.

"Sorry Finn, I can't hear you!" the vampire replied as she got a hold of her sharp axe-bass "I'm too busy trying to save you!"

A couple of clean slashes were more than enough to save the young human. The monstrous plant released a shriek of despair as its tentacle-like stems fell in pieces, causing Finn to plunge down.

"Ma-Marcy…!" the young hero cried, knowing that crashing against the ground would be terribly painful.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" the swift queen shouted in response. She prepared herself to jump towards Finn and catch him in midair, however, a thick vine coiled itself around Marceline's ankle, drawing her backwards and slamming onto the hard earth. "Glob… I'm getting too old for this…" Marceline muttered, accepting the pain.

"Do not fear! Remember Jakey's here!" the magical bulldog exclaimed, stretching his paws to catch the falling boy and take him safely to Marceline's side while the leeching plant scurried away from the scene and hid underground as a scared rabbit.

"Finn! Are you all right? How are you feeling, did you break your guts or something'?" asked a very concerned Jake as he leaned over his brother, searching for any possible wounds.

"Hehehe… It's okay Jake! I'm fine, see?" the human boy answered, struggling to break free from Jake's tight embrace.

"I'm fine too…" Marceline commented as she got back to her feet "If anybody cares to know."

Finn's smile vanished momentarily from his face as he watched the vampire dust herself off. His chest ached bitterly. He knew that, even though he had been mean to her, (courtesy of the Blood Demon) Marceline never abandoned him. She had risked everything she had to bring him and Flame Princess back to safety, and Finn was never going to forget that. Without advice, the boy lunged over the Vampire Queen, wrapping his arms around her thin waist.

"I don't care if I said that I would never forgive you, Marcy!" Finn sobbed, "I'm the one who should apologize! Y-you're my best radical friend, Marceline, and I don't wanna lose you!"

Another mask crumbled down from Marceline's face, and it was all Finn's fault. There was no way she could act indifferent before that display of regret and caring friendship. "Hey…" she whispered, crouching down to equal his height "It's okay, Finn. I know you didn't mean it…" Marceline pulled him close, returning the hug in a tender manner, as if she was an older sister trying to comfort her little brother.

"I forgive you." The Vampire Queen assured, messing Finn's hair before standing up again "Now let's get moving, weenies. The others need us in the front lines."

"Hey! Don't I get a hug too?" Jake asked naively.

"Do I look like Barney the Friendly Dinosaur or something? You already got a hug a couple of hours ago, leave me alone!" Marceline complained, turning her face away in a poor attempt to hide her amused smile. "C'mon guys, let's get out—…"

She never got to end the phrase. As soon Marceline moved her foot forward, the ground beneath it broke apart. She noticed this as fast as her supernatural senses let her, struggling to keep Finn and Jake on her grasp. The Vampire Queen flew above the collapsing memory landscape, carrying the two adventurers with her. They never expected that a crimson claw would rise from the newly formed abyss, only to pull the human boy into its depths.

"No, Finn!" Marceline screamed, stretching her arm to reach him.

"I'll bring him back!" the magical dog announced, throwing his stretchy foot down in the form of a lasso "I-I think I got him!" Jake said as soon as he felt a tight grip holding him. He dragged him up immediately, hoping to see Finn's silly smile again. Unfortunately, Jake had caught the wrong fish…

"_**You thought I was through, huh? Little Marcy?"**_ a demonic smirk was reflected on the Vampire Queen's irises. She couldn't believe that she was actually staring at the Blood Demon once again. Hunson was right; the "_Keeth Oth Rama Pancake" _spell wasn't enough to beat him for sure. The crimson demon had been hiding within Finn's Memory Core the whole time…_**"Face it, our battle has only just begun. I shall get my revenge…!"**_

"Jake…" Marceline said severely "Go after Finn…while I deal with this demon…"

"But Marcy…" the golden bulldog replied, fearing for her safety.

"Just go!" she growled, tossing him into the bowels of Finn's Memory Core.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Here you go, as I promised, no more five-month waiting! I have finally managed to organize my time, so hopefully this fanfic is going to be updated more frequently from now on. You can also check my profile if you want to see the chapters' progress, that will give you an idea of when the story might be updated.

Regarding to the chapter's length, I have decided that they will be as long as need to be. Why? Because I already finished the outline of this story! The end is getting closer and closer! Can't believe I published this fanfic a year ago (more or less) I never imagined that this would turn out to be such a lengthy story with over 72,900 views! And everything it's because of you, thanks for all your support and advice guys, I really appreciate it! Hope you liked the chapter, see you soon!


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